No More Mr Nice Guy
by Castaway Jane
Summary: When one of Hollywoods best loved actors is murdered in his own home the gang learn that fame comes at a price
1. A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men

No More Mr Nice Guy, by Castaway Jane.

Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to CBS and Viacom, again I'm just using them for a little escapism, please don't sue.

Authors Note: Although this story refers to some issues raised in my last piece of fan fiction "Wake up Sleeping" which I posted all the way back in April 2002, it should make basic sense to those of you who haven't read it.

_A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men_

Thursday 18th May 17:42

Steve held up the yellow police tape allowing his father to duck underneath nimbly; Mark raised his eyebrows as he entered the vast marbled hallway. The house on West Marine Road was matched in its enormity by its beautifully tasteful décor. Far from being sparse or formal, the huge interior managed to exude a warm, homely feel. Steve cleared his throat as Mark continued to gaze around, his face wide-eyed with a hint of a smile. Clearing his throat again failed to attract his fathers attention.

"Dad" he snapped, leading Mark by the arm towards the hub of the action.

"Oh, yes sorry" he spluttered "details, you said you'd fill me in when I got here"

"You didn't have to come you know" Steve informed him as they continued to make their way through the throngs of police officers and forensic experts "regular robbery homicide by the looks of things, I don't see why you were so insistent on coming down"

Mark smiled and stroked his lips a little, "come on Steve, a guy as high-powered and high-profile as Max Simmons, society talk and all, not to mention a huge place like this" he twirled open armed in the entrance hall, staring up at a huge crystal chandelier. "I thought I could be of assistance"

"You thought you could snoop" Steve surmised. Mark shrugged and grinned sheepishly.

"Wasn't he great in 'Hearts of the Innocent', I loved that film" the old man spluttered, attempting to divert attention from his guilt.

"Amanda's through here" Steve said pointing towards what was obviously Simmons' office. They were met in the doorway by the gurney carrying Simmons' bagged body out to the awaiting ambulance. Forensics officers packed the room, some dusting for prints, others photographing the scene. Steve flashed his badge to the uniformed officer on the door and made his way to where Amanda knelt.

"Hey Steve, Mark" she nodded, removing a pair of blood stained gloves. "Seems like there was a brief struggle" she flinched as a bright glare hit the window.

"Goddamn press! Someone get out there and keep them the hell back" a plain-clothes officer yelled scuttling to the window and flicking the blinds closed.

Amanda slowly stood and continued "single GSW to the chest, close range judging by the charring and tattooing." She paused "but no star-shaped entry wound to suggest contact between the muzzle and chest. Given the entry point and amount of blood loss" she motioned towards the once cream, now crimson carpet at her feet "I'd say death would have been almost instantaneous".

The pain-clothes officer joined them "hey Amanda" he barked gruffly. He extended a hand towards Mark. "You must be Doctor Sloan"

Mark nodded, trying his best not to wince at the ferocity of the other mans grip.

"Dad, this is Rodney Brown, he's leading the investigation" Steve finished the introduction. Brown was stocky, and at only 5' 8" Steve towered over him. Mark guessed he was in his mid 50's, his complexion was pale, his face covered with thick stubble and he wore a smart dark blue suit over an ill fitting and crumpled white shirt. His short-cropped chestnut hair was heavily flecked with grey, and his brown eyes sat wearily above black bags.

"Heard you're a useful guy to have around" Brown continued "I'll be honest doc" he shot a look at Steve "I'm not used to having civilians, or partners pa's assisting on my cases, but I ain't a bull-headed man. Junior here and I run the case, you want to help, fine by me, anything to make my job easier". He mockingly wagged a finger at Mark "and that's the crux, make the job easier, toss a few ideas around, what I don't need is Miss Marple throwing obstacles in my path. I've heard good things about you doc, I'm sure we'll get on fine". Brown smiled broadly to indicate he'd finished setting the ground rules and returned his attention to Amanda. "So my dear, how long before you get the story on the stiff?"

Amanda smiled sweetly and replied dryly "the _autopsy _shouldn't take too long, I could have the results by the morning, depends how much blood work you want"

"The whole nine yards Amanda, something as high profile as this, we don't want to cut any corners." Amanda nodded and made her way to the door as Brown switched his attention to Steve "OK Sloan…_junior_" he added as Mark looked on "I need a word with the forensics boys, wait here."

As he waddled off Steve gave a mock salute and Mark pulled his son to one side "what did you do to get paired up with him?" he asked jokingly. "Actually, what are you doing working a homicide at all?" he asked sounding a little anxious.

"Dad" Steve moaned, "I've been stuck at that desk so long I was beginning to forget what the outside world looked like. So, I discussed it with Masters…"

"You bugged him to death more like" the old man smirked.

"I explained that my medical is only a few weeks off so it's about time I got my hand back in."

"I'm surprised he agreed" Mark confessed.

"Well….." Steve grinned sheepishly "he was adamant that he wasn't going to let me work any street crime just yet"

"I should think not" Mark jumped in.

Steve rolled his eyes "But we got this call this morning, the department is over stretched at the moment and Rod's usual partner is off sick so….."

"Master's had to give in" Mark nodded.

"Master's had to scrape the bottom of the barrel" Steve corrected him "it was either me or wrench Hollings from that corner office he's been hibernating in for the past six years."

"Hollings?" Mark pondered out loud "don't think I've met him"

"Not many people have" Steve laughed "last time he worked an active case I was probably still in uniform. But I'm not complaining, it gets me out of filing for a few days and if we get a quick result it will prove to Master's that I'm ready to start working real cases of my own again."

"You have nothing to prove to anyone," his father reminded him.

Steve nodded "I know, I just want to get things back to normal."

"Junior!" Rod hollered from across the room "let's hit the road".

Steve drew a calming breath "thank you for coming over dad, your _assistance_ is always a great help" he smiled at his father, raising a conspiratorial eyebrow.

"My assistance? Oh my _assistance_" Mark grinned catching on. "Should I hang around a little longer and…"

"Snoop" Steve nodded.

"I was going to say _assist_ some more" Mark huffed as his son turned as left. Allowing his eyes to pan around the room a sly grin crossed his face "Me, snoop!" he muttered to himself indignantly.


	2. Testing the waters

_Testing the waters****_

Friday 19th May 08:12

"OK, sorted" Brown closed the manila folder as he and Steve sat in the station, "I'll start on his showbiz colleagues, and his charity work. You concentrate on the family and the business angle".

"He may have been a great giver but looking at that pad yesterday he didn't leave himself poverty stricken in the process" Steve agreed "Apparently the safe held ten grand".

As Brown straightened his tie Steve noticed a freshly ironed pale blue shirt beneath the dark blue suit, and a clean-shaven face to go with it. Smoothing his hair down with the palm of his hand Brown muttered something about being off to a studio across town and keeping each other informed.

"Fine" Steve joked "you go and rub shoulders with the beautiful people, I'll deal with the weeping widow. Oh and Rod, if you aren't back by morning I'll tell the captain you got a better offer. With Simmons out of the picture the media needs another idol to worship".

Friday 19th May 09:36

Steve parked across the street from Simmons house on East Marine Road and brushed his way through the smattering of reporters who were still camped outside the gates. A skinny brunette from some minor entertainment station waved a microphone in his face, gabbling questions and repeating rumours in the process. Steve forced a smile "No comment", the woman undeterred continued grinning insanely. Too many teeth for one mouth Steve thought to himself as a uniformed officer buzzed him inside.

He bounded up the sweeping steps leading to the main entrance and ducked under the yellow tape. Two forensic officers in white coveralls passed him in the hallway, he muttered to them and they signalled towards a doorway to the right. Steve disappeared inside then returned a short while later crossing to the open lounge door.

He knocked and a calm, pleasant voice called "come in". Steve entered the lounge room closing the door behind himself; the lights were on and drapes covered all three sets of huge ceiling to floor French windows. He noticed the spring of the carpet beneath his feet, it had a cream and mauve pattern and about six inched of pile by the feel of things. The end of the room he had entered into was sparse, the walls lined with shallow shelves filled with videotapes. The other end focused around an elaborate fireplace and a huge glass coffee table seated on a Chinese rug. There were two sofas and a pair of chairs arranged around them as well as a chaise-long by the bottom window. A small table with a lamp and telephone sat alone in the corner. Glancing around Steve noticed family photos and achievement plaques intermingled on the walls, and the mantle piece proudly displayed awards flanked by photos of two children.

Corrine Simmons hovered by the fireplace, she was about 5' 10", a slender figure dressed in a knee length black skirt and black blouse; Steve knew from the file that she was 41 years old. Her hair was shiny and blond, swept back tightly from her face, coiled perfectly and gripped in place by some invisible force. Her make-up, if she was wearing any, was subtle Steve thought, together with the simple chain around her neck and the two rings on her wedding finger she was nothing like the woman he'd imagined. Married to somebody as important and famous, not to mention rich as Max Simmons, he'd expected a silicon enhanced show-wife, all hair and teeth like the reporter outside.

She smiled weakly and extended a hand towards Steve "You must be Steve, sorry Detective Sloan" she corrected herself.

"Either is fine" he assured her, thrown slightly by her use of his Christian name. "May I start by saying how sorry I am about your husband Mrs Simmons,"

"Corrine, please"

Steve smiled "Corrine, I appreciate this is a difficult time for you and your family, I'll try to take as little of your time as possible. I've just spoken again to your housekeeper."

"Alyson, was she helpful?" Corrine asked politely. Steve nodded.

"Just a formality" he clarified and Corrine smiled.

"Of course, she's been with us for almost five years now, Max and she got on famously" a frown crept across her face. "Yes" she continued solemnly, "Alyson liked Max, just like everyone else did."

Steve heard the door behind him struggle to brush open across the thick carpet.

Corrine signalled over Steve's shoulder "Come in Mark". Steve didn't bother to turn around. Though it was a common enough name he was somehow sure of the presence behind him. "I called your father earlier" she began to explain. Steve tried to look nonchalant but his expression only managed to land somewhere between exasperation and submission. "We met at a charity gala for the children's ward last year" she continued. Mark stood shoulder to shoulder with his son now, smiling across at him as if to say he had no choice but to be here. "Your father and I spoke briefly here yesterday,"

"When I was here in my role as police consultant" Mark clarified quickly for his son.

"Yes, and he told me you were assigned to the case. I remembered from the gala that Mark had a son in the police department, he's very proud of you and rightly so" Corrine continued as Steve began to blush. "I hope you don't mind my calling your father…."

"Not at all" Steve smiled. He could always rely on his father to go above and beyond the call of duty in his role of police consultant; hanging around at the crime scene, waiting for a '_chance_' meeting with an old acquaintance. Good to see he could still snoop, no, _assist_, as well as ever.

Corrine signalled for Steve and Mark to take a seat on the sofa and eased herself into one of the chairs by the fireside. "Did you find the bathroom alright?" she asked and Mark blushed slightly.

"Got a little lost" he admitted "but I found it, or should I say I found _a_ bathroom, passed another two on the way back".

Snooping again Steve thought with a strange pang of pride. He took a notepad from his pocket and began gently. "Mrs Simmons" he paused "Corrine, your husband was a well know figure, well liked too" Corrine smiled "but could you think of anybody" she began shaking her head slowly but Steve continued "anybody who had a grudge against him, felt he'd wronged them in some way. While it seems like robbery was the probable motive we have to look at all possibilities. Did your husband ever mention any enemies, any threats against him?" She didn't reply to the question directly but addressed Mark.

"You met him at the gala, that was the real Max, not a show, not good PR or acting skills. That was him, the way he always was. His charity work was his passion, it's the reason he gave up acting and why he's had less and less interest in SKE". Her voice began to break. Still looking at Mark she pressed on; "People, the press, they always want the _'real story'_, some sleaze, it's a sign of the times I'm afraid, nobody is willing to believe that beautiful people exist anymore" she shot an accusatory glance at Steve. "Oh sure, make up and designer labels, those beautiful people are all over the magazines but beautiful _souls_, I guess they don't sell tabloids. They're always looking, _were_ always looking" she corrected herself "for a chink in his armour". She beamed "You can't find what isn't there".

"Is there _anything _you can think of?" Steve asked

"Jealousy" she shrugged "Somebody jealous of what he had, or robbery as you said. I'm sorry, that's all I can think of. It may be hard for you Detective, with your line of work I guess you don't meet people like Max; all I can do is assure you that Max never did anything to make an enemy. I know you're sitting there thinking I'm gushing about him in my grief, but really, ask anyone, he was unique".

Steve tapped the pen on the blank notepad. "Do you think I'd be able to speak to the children now? Steve asked politely."

"I'm sorry" Corrine shook her head "I really don't think they are up to it yet. Maybe tomorrow?" she suggested.

The phone in the corner tinkled delicately, Corrine answered, paused and covered the mouthpiece "It's Max's mother, is there anything else?"

Steve shook his head, "no, thank you," and with that Mark and Steve bounced across the carpet to the door closing it behind them.****

Friday 19th May 13:55****

"Mark filled me in about your meeting with Corrine" Amanda smiled as Steve entered the path lab "how did it go with the business partners?"

"He was a nice guy" he delivered the statement in robotic fashion, "oh, and did anybody mention, Max was a _really _nice guy"?

"What'd his partners at SKE say about him selling up?" she asked innocently.

Steve's eyes brightened "Selling up?" Amanda knew by the tone of his voice that this was the first Steve had heard of it.

"Thought so" she admitted smugly "I was talking to a guy who is rather interested in the case 'cause he has an interest in SKE, he likes to stay ahead of the game and he loves celebrity gossip".

"Go on" Steve urged.

"According to the financial and tinsel town grapevines, Simmons wanted to sell his share in the business"

"He's an equal partner with two guys named Craig Emerson and Michael Kent" Steve said.

Amanda nodded "Simmons liked to be hands on, the company was getting too big, he was feeling like a stuffed shirt. Other rumours are that he wanted to devote all his time to charity work"

"That ties with something the wife said, something about it becoming his main focus or passion, I don't remember the exact words".

"OK" she folded her arms across her body "then it gets sketchy, speculation. Something about an agreement as to which partner would gain control if Simmons did sell, potential financial problems with the big name gone. It's not much unless you think it's worth digging into" her tone turned apologetic.

"Amanda it's great, I promise" he gave her a quick hug and glanced at his watch "if you see dad, tell him I may not be home for dinner, see you later", and with that he left.

Friday 19th May 14:42

Steve flashed his best smile at the receptionist in the SKE lobby. She chatted into a headset as her fingers danced across the keyboard and the switchboard behind her flashed furiously.

"Honey, I told you, we have nothing to do with casting. I know. Ya, ya, oh darling tell me about it, been waiting for my big break for twelve years." A slight pause "No! Oh my god how did _he_ get a part in a show like that? Really?" She stopped typing now and gazed at the far wall in astonishment "well they say it's _who_ yo_u_ know, does her husband have any idea?" Steve coughed but it did nothing to attract the woman's attention. "And you got them _both_ for forty bucks?", he waved his badge in front of her face. "Hold on honey" she covered the mouth piece with her hand "impressive prop, but we don't do casting" she tutted and resumed her conversation "So like I say, poor Mr Simmons".

Steve braced his hands on his hips, purposefully hooking his jacket back to reveal his holster.

"I'll call you back honey" she gabbled, disconnecting the call. She smiled up nervously from the desk "please tell me you're a real police officer and not a real hacked off wanna be TV cop".

"Detective Sloan" he responded sternly "I was here earlier to see Mr Kent and Mr Emerson. On that occasion I was greeted by a pleasant and highly efficient young lady." He smiled broadly again.

"Oh, that would have been Jen" the receptionist grinned without a hint of embarrassment "she is a very good worker." She smiled at Steve again but failed to ask what he wanted.

"Do I have to wait until Jen gets back to see Mr Kent and Mr Emerson??" he asked sarcastically.

"Oh not at all!" she replied, the insinuation going way over her head. "Jen isn't back until Tuesday anyhow, I'll let them you're here" she made the calls. "Mr Kent will be free in a moment, you won't mention…?"

Steve rolled his eyes then focused as Michael Kent strode down the corridor to greet him.

"This way, please" he gestured with an open arm. Steve entered the spacious office and took a as Kent began "Didn't expect to see you again so soon Detective, do you have more information about Max's death?"

"Not really, there were just a couple more questions which came to mind."

"Well, Craig and I gave you a pretty thorough account of how we came to be in business together. Max was our golden goose, our 'one in a million'. Craig and I never made it past TV ad's, Max was the one who hit the big time. "

"Then you and Mr Emerson set up your first production company" Steve clarified, and Kent nodded. "And when Max slowed down with the acting he joined you?"

"Not exactly, Craig and I sold the first company at a tidy profit, but we were small fish. Then we all came together, paired our experience with Max's high profile. Three musketeers and one new company. Success". He grinned for a brief moment then his face dropped, as if remembering why Steve was sitting there.

"You each owned an equal share?" Steve asked coolly

"Thought we told you this before Detective" a voice from behind him answered.

Steve looked around as Craig Emerson walked briskly into the office and stood next to Kent's desk.

"Just clarifying" Steve responded as politely as he could.

"Yes, we were equal partners" Kent confirmed.

"And now?"

Kent looked up at Emerson sheepishly "Max's share goes to Corrine I presume".

Steve pretended to ponder the statement for a minute then asked "If Corrine doesn't want to be part of the company, or if Max had decided to sell, then what?"

Kent fidgeted in his chair, glancing up at Emerson again "Well, it's rather simple. We have an agreement for such a scenario, it states that Craig and I as remaining partners would have first refusal"

"Going to the highest bidder?" Steve asked

"No" Emerson jumped in defensively "we started the company as equals, Mike and I would each be offered half the shares at a fixed price, it's something we agreed on at the start and re-hashed a couple of years back".

"And if, hypothetically speaking, one or both of you didn't want to buy the shares or couldn't afford to, then what?"

A small chuckled escaped Emerson, a nervous laugh Steve thought. Kent continued, "If one of us didn't want to buy, the opportunity would fall to the other. If neither of us were interested, the shares would be split, priced at market value and put on general sale".

Steve nodded slowly "OK, that's all for now" he stood deliberately slowly and made his way to the door.

"Has Corrine mentioned anything to you about selling?" Kent asked, trying to sound casual in his questioning.

"Not yet" Steve replied, smirking to himself as he turned to leave.

****


	3. Join the fan club

_Join the fan club_

Friday 19th May 18:49

"So this SKE could be a lead?" Rod Brown asked gulping down a can of coke as he sat in a chair by Steve's desk.

"Well I'll be looking into it further, that's for sure" Steve responded "I called Corrine and she confirmed that Max had seriously considered selling his shares and that she'll probably go through with it, but understandably she has other things on her mind right now. You didn't turn up much with the beautiful people?"

"They're all actors!" Rod sounded strangely surprised. Steve raised his eyebrows "What I mean is, if any of them have something to cover up, they'd be well equipped to do so. But no, I didn't find myself a prime suspect amongst that lot. Same old story you got. Directors said he was fabulous, had vision, took instruction without question. _'A master'_ I think one called him. His leading ladies say he was the perfect gent, no signs of on set hanky panky, didn't eat garlic before a love scene, a devoted husband as far as they knew. Other co-stars said he was patient with incompetent techies or extras. Yeah and all that _'never forgot his roots'_ baloney, took time to talk to the up-and-comings, signed autographs for hours on end. I even talked to the writer of 'Ed Baxter', where he got his break. He wasn't signed for the last series you know, shot to fame in that 'Hearts of the Innocent' flick, nobody thought he'd go back to TV"

"But he did" Steve nodded.

"Yeah" Brown continued, viewing Steve suspiciously.

"One of his partners mentioned that" Steve explained.

"You know the sucker went back for the same measly salary, didn't want to let the cast and crew down, something about '_closure'_ for the character and fans."

"Mr Nice Guy or what?" Steve complained.

"Yeah, it sure is a pain in the butt. You think it could be a straight up robbery?" his voice trailed up the end.

They both shook their heads. "Nah" they answered in unison.

Cheryl strode through the door and Steve's eyes followed her as she swiftly crossed to her desk and sat down.

"I'll leave you with whatever business you've got to finish up here" Brown sneered good naturedly nodding towards Cheryl. "I'm off to move in societies higher echelons" he sounded bored already "do-gooders from his charity work. Maybe find myself an incredibly rich widow." Steve chuckled "what's so funny?" Rod growled back "about as much chance as that as me turning up a lead."

"I'll keep digging at SKE, then get back to the family, interview the kids. Have fun" Steve slouched back in his chair.

"What about other relatives?" Rod asked as he pulled on his jacket.

"Brother could be worth a look, mother is terminally ill, probably not up to an interview."

"And either is Luis by the sounds of things" Mark interjected as he entered the room. His statement brought Rod to a halt in the doorway. Mark paused but the puzzled looks of the others forced him to continue. "Just thought I'd stop by and keep you in the picture. Finding his father in that state was highly traumatic for the boy. Corrine called me after we left earlier, asked if I'd go over tomorrow and have a little chat with him."

"You mean the brats don't have their own shrinks and personal trainers?" Rod mocked.

Mark shook his head "According to Corrine, Luis is a very gentle, quiet boy, a bit like his father. It's hit him hard and she just wants somebody to talk to him. I told her I'm not an expert but she's become kind of friendly since Max's death".

"Friendly huh?" Brown chuckled. "That can only be helpful doc, if the family trust you, they may have information they're keeping from us. Seeing you on our side could promote our image". Brown grinned and Mark cringed realising he'd just been appointed chief spy on the case.

"You almost done for the day?" Mark asked Steve once Brown had made his exit.

Steve rolled his eyes "is that why you dropped by, checking up on me?"

Mark smiled guiltily but still attempted to cover himself, "I wanted to let you know about visiting Luis", Steve held up his cell phone. Resigned to defeat Mark admitted, "OK, I could have called but Amanda said you weren't sure if you'd be home for dinner and I just wanted to make sure you weren't planning anything silly." Steve raised his eyebrows quizzically. "Like working late" Mark suggested, "I think you're forgetting that you're still supposed to be easing back into things".

Steve sighed and looked across to Cheryl, "Don't worry dad, if I hang around here too long Cheryl sends me packing."

"She takes good care of you huh?" Mark smiled seeing the way his son looked at the young woman.

Steve blushed, "yeah, she does. And hopefully she'll be finished up here soon too."

"Oh, so what you're saying is don't wait up?" Mark grinned cheekily.

"What I'm saying is let's set an extra place for dinner" Steve smiled back.

"Oh" Mark stifled a laugh "OK, see you both soon" Mark winked at his son and headed for the door.

Friday 19th May 20:05****

Amanda placed her delicate hands on Steve's shoulders, attempting to crank his blades back with her thumbs as he sat slouched over the kitchen table. "Posture" she scolded and he replied with a faint grin, returning his gaze to the open file on the table**. **The front door opened and Jesse followed Mark into the kitchen, both of then clutching bags of take away food.

"They don't look like pizza boxes to me," Steve observed dryly.

"Great detective skills" Cheryl jibed.

Jesse laughed, "No they aren't, but you won't be disappointed." Chirping optimistically he explained, "Change of plan, there was an accident on Lawrence, we got diverted down Fulson, and you know what that means."

"_Wok 'n' Roll_" Amanda and Steve replied in unison as Mark began dishing up the rice.

"Hey, Cheryl" Jesse nodded towards Steve who continued to scan the documents in front of him "tell him it's rude to read at the table, he doesn't listen to me."

Mark laughed passing a plate to Steve "he's right son" he smiled reassuringly, "just because the first couple of leads drew a blank doesn't mean disaster. After all, Simmons has only been dead a day".

Steve shook his head wearily "Dad" he began in dejected tones "We picked up a drug addict, rap sheet for robbery and firearm charges as long as your arm. He was less than three blocks from the Simmons' place with blood on his shirt. It turns out he'd been administering first aid to a kid in the neighbourhood who'd been mauled by a dog!" He closed the folder and placed it on the counter behind.

Cheryl and Jesse exchanged raised eyebrows. "Well it shows you can't always judge somebody on their past record" Mark offered as the positive side to the scenario. Now that everybody was seated and served with rice, Amanda and Jesse began removing the lids from the remaining cartons of food.

Steve continued as he helped himself to a spoonful of stir fried vegetables; "So our first suspect turns out to be a Good Samaritan within an hour of the crime". He paused and drew a deep breath "Then, the door to door gives us a guy dressed head to toe in black, speeding away from West Marine in our time frame. Anybody want to take a guess?" Everybody was too preoccupied with loading their plates, so when nobody obliged he answered himself, "he was a _Priest_ of all things, half way through wedding arrangements with the family next door when a parishioner in Lawson Villas had a coronary and he took off to read the last rites!"

"Mrs James" Amanda was met by four questioning looks as she bit the end off a spring roll. "They brought her down to me, said the priest had just made it in time".

"Oh well that puts me at ease" Steve added sarcastically and Cheryl slapped him playfully on the thigh. "Two good leads in two hours and both of them dead ends."

"And Corrine really didn't give you anything to go on?" Amanda asked pessimistically.

"He was Mother Teresa of California" Steve quipped dejectedly. "She gave me nothing I couldn't have learnt from subscribing to his fanclub. Max Simmons was a born in a backwater town up state, poor parents, no prospects, rebel for a brother". He paused to help himself to some chicken. "He sang in the church choir, helped old ladies across the road." Mark frowned scornfully at Steve's apparent distrust of the picture painted of Simmons. He decided to let it go as Steve was obviously frustrated by the lack of leads in the high profile case. While he didn't believe his son needed to prove his skills as a detective to anyone, he understood that Steve wanted to do well after being stuck behind a desk for so log. "Max dreamt of being an actor since high-school" Steve elaborated, "moved south at 18, brought his hometown sweetheart with him, Corrine. His was the usual tale of woe; years of walk on parts and pilots that went nowhere. He and Corrine worked numerous jobs to pursue to his dream"

"Her dream too" Jesse butted in, the corners of his mouth smeared with sauce. The others waited for him to explain "she made it first" he obliged with an air of authority "played Selma de Meine in "_A Scream In The Silence_", it's a cult classic" he assured them. "She didn't have what you'd call _substantial _talent, but that scream, wow, I never heard a scream like it. But she was a one hit wonder, she took a part in a terrible daytime soap playing a spoilt little rich girl and the part didn't call for screaming which, sadly, was about all she could do. She quit when their first kid"

"Alexandria" Steve interjected

"Yeah, when she was born. It was after that when Max really came onto the scene".

"Want information? Subscribe to the fanclub or ask Jess" Steve corrected himself.

"It's not like that" Jesse replied defensively "I followed Corrine's career but not his, not really my taste if you get my drift. Do you think you could get me her autograph? Or maybe I could come with you when you go back to the house?" he added excitedly.

Steve ignored the last statement and as they continued to eat he peppered the conversation with more facts about Max. "Eventually he got his break, through hard work as opposed to skill in the beginning, so the industry whispers go. He was described as '_Unconventionally handsome'_ whatever that means, but still he was cast as the male bait in a prime time serial, once a week playing Ed Baxter in what was originally titled "_The_ _Ed Baxter Show_".

"Later they changed it to '_The Max Simmons'_ show" Jesse informed them, proudly displaying his vast knowledge in the field of light entertainment.

Mark screwed up his face "don't you find it pretentious when stars do that, have their shows named after themselves?" he asked the others.

Steve disregarded his fathers question and carried on "what ever it was called, the premise of the show seemed a little shaky, kind of Bonanza meets Superman. But his acting skills improved and after a couple of mediocre films he hit the big time."

"Hearts of the Innocent" Mark smiled and Amanda made a faint cooing noise.

"Yeah I know" Steve began before he'd be forced to have it replayed by them at the table. "A Classic, deep moral issues addressed, love, romance, tear jerker, action, adventure, whatever. Point is he hit the big time, kind of handsome and certainly versatile, in high demand, huge grossing movies but with the integrity to work cheaply on worthwhile projects. Millionaire in a few years, happy marriage and two lovely kids" Steve galloped to the end of the statement.

"Maybe not _so_ happily married" Jesse interrupted again "Corrine has been rumoured to '_wander_' in the past should we say".

"I don't have any information on affairs," Steve sounded annoyed yet intrigued.

"You haven't been reading the right tabloids" Jesse replied "He was supposed to have a thing with a call girl too."

"Oh no" Amanda wagged her finger "They showed that little madam had been paid to make the claim by a sleazy magazine in need of sales. All proven to be false and I'm pretty sure he sued." Amanda added dismissively.

"Well true or not it's the best lead on the personal side" Steve raised his eyebrows.

"No smoke without fire" Cheryl pointed out.

Steve thought for a moment and shook his head "Beautiful souls don't sell tabloids" he murmured, then "forget it" as Amanda and Jesse looked up. "So he's brilliant at his job, never turned into a prima donna, and after ten years hugging the lime light he jacks in the career. Takes more time with the family and concentrates on his charity work. He's spokesman for countless causes; abused children, earthquake victims, the rights of the elderly"

"But nothing controversial?" Mark asked.

"Not a hint" Steve replied "noting to do with abortion or euthanasia, no racial or religious causes, nothing that could be considered political or inflammatory. He picked his corner well. Anyhow, that's Rod's department, he got the actors and the do-gooders. I got the family, which is always like running through quick sand, and '_business_'. After he calmed the acting side down he and a couple of guys started their own '_small_' production company."

"Small!" Amanda exclaimed, "SKE have some of the biggest shows going".

"Yeah but they started small, Simmons and two guys from his days of struggling to get by; Michael Kent and Craig Emerson. Didn't get much from them today either."

"How about physical evidence, stuff from the crime scene?" Jesse asked expectantly.

Steve collected his thoughts. "Let's see, Max Simmons was found by his 14 year old son when he returned from trumpet practice, shot dead in his office, safe open and empty except for the box of ammo. The weapon was found by the body; it was registered to Max and Corrine confirmed he always kept it in the safe along with a single box of ammunition. Ballistics confirmed that one shot was fired, and counting the rounds still in the clip that accounts for all of the ammunition. We don't hold out much hope of getting prints off the weapon itself. There was no sign of forced entry, and considering the place is like Fort Knox that's a tough one in itself. As for forensics, nothing so far; no other prints in the house, no tracks in the garden, no other blood types at the scene. Autopsy gave no alcohol, drugs or toxins. Nothing, nada, nix". He threw his hands in the air.

"Sure it wasn't a suicide?" Jesse enquired timidly.

Steve and Amanda chuckled in unison. "You want to start?" Steve invited Amanda as he took a mouthful of food.

She sighed and turned to her young colleague "Jesse, I've seen countless firearm suicides and I can't think of a single case where the shot wasn't aimed at either the temple" she mimicked a gun with two fingers and pointed to her own head, "the forehead" she again demonstrated, "or into an open mouth" she finished.

"Yeah, guess it's unlikely he'd aim for the heart" Jesse accepted.

"Also" Steve added, "The gun shot residue tests on Max's hands came back negative"

"Then it definitely wasn't a suicide" Mark deduced helping himself to more pork.

"Well…." Cheryl scrunched up her nose "I don't think for a moment that it _was_ a suicide, but lack of residue isn't conclusive evidence that somebody didn't fire a weapon. There are circumstances, usually in open air, when a breeze can carry the particles away from the shooter leaving no trace on the hands or clothes."

Mark turned to his son "but as far as the department is concerned it's a robbery homicide investigation right?"

"Right" Steve agreed "and at the moment it's an investigation that's going nowhere fast." Steve sat back in his chair and rubbed his head.

"Hey, relax" Cheryl whispered, squeezing his knee under the table.

"Easy for you to say Miss Detective of The Year" he retorted without malice.

Cheryl beamed as she rose from the table and collected a handful of napkins from the counter. "Oh, I think somebody is jealous?" she giggled and Steve tried his best not to beam back.

"I take it you're still in the good books after the quick clear up on the Sanford case" Mark asked as Cheryl took her seat again.

"Oh yeah, and milking every moment of it" Steve butted in.

"So what's next?" Amanda asked sheepishly.

"Maybe they'll give her the Nobel Prize" Steve shrugged and Cheryl squeezed his knee again, harder this time and Steve winced.

"I meant on the Simmons case" Amanda clarified sternly.

"Oh, tomorrow I'm going back to interview the kids, they weren't up to talking today. Then I've got to get over to see the brother, but he's a few hours up the coast so I may not have time" he shook his head "the media are all over us already. Do you know how popular this guy was? They're ready to make him a saint on TV. And really" Steve asked incredulously, "what did he _really_ do?"

"Fabulous Entertainer"

"Great Philanthropist"

"Loving Father, Husband, Son"

The replies came in quick succession and Steve nodded "and wouldn't my life be easier if he was the most hated guy in California?" Returning to his food Steve was glad when the conversation around the table gradually changed topics. With the three doctors in deep discussion Cheryl ran a soothing hand up Steve's arm,

"Hey" she whispered, "you know you can't let this get to you," she reminded him softly and he nodded in response. "You and Rod will figure this out, just be thorough and be patient."

"Oh, divulging the secrets of your success?" Steve mocked gently.

"Well, I'm busy enough without clearing up your cold cases too" she smirked.

Before Steve could reply his attention was drawn to the other end of the table where Jesse proceeded to replay the _'really gory bit_' from "_A Scream In The Silence_" using his chopsticks. Strangely enough Steve found himself suddenly disinterested in the remainder of his dinner which was covered in blood red Cantonese sauce."


	4. The apple falls close to the tree

_The apple falls close to the tree_

Saturday 20th May      11:00

From the body language between Mark and Corrine, Steve could tell that they'd developed quite a rapport.  He cleared his throat to announce his presence as he entered the lounge, and Corrine signalled for him to take a seat beside his father.

There was a pause and Mark looked between his host and his son.  "I had my chat with Luis, do you want to speak with him now" he asked Steve.

"If you both think he's up to it."

Corrine nodded slowly, "Yes, I think it's best he gets this over with.  You'll go with him Mark, now that Luis knows you?"

"Certainly" he replied, and rose to follow Steve as he made his way from the lounge into the marbled hallway.  As they began to climb the stairs Mark probed "you learn anything this morning that I should know about?"

"Checked out the housekeepers alibi, it's solid.  It was her day off so there's really very little she can help us with.  She and Max got on well but I got the impression from her yesterday that she isn't a fan of Mrs Simmons, or her daughter."  Steve paused as they reached the top of the stairs and Mark signalled for him to turn left down the passageway.  Steve continued in hushed tones "her main concern was the effect all this will have on Luis".

"It's his mothers too" Mark replied. 

"What d'you think?  Is he really up to talking to me now?"

Mark scowled.  "Luis is very quiet, he's still obviously in shock.  He's not your typical brash teenage boy."  They stopped at a doorway bearing a small wooden name plaque.  "You'll just need to take it real easy on him son."

Steve nodded towards the door and Mark knocked gently "Luis, it's Mark Sloan again, I have my son Steve with me, he wants to…"

The door opened before Mark could finish the sentence and the young boy stepped back into the room to let the two men enter.  Steve smiled and did a quick visual inventory of his surroundings.  'Not a typical teenage boy' he thought; there were no sports posters or pin-ups of the latest teen temptress, no Marilyn Manson CD's, no clothes on the floor.  In fact the place was barrack room tidy; schoolbooks neatly in place on a shelf above a tidy desk, only two posters on the wall; one a colour print of Yosemite National Park and the other a black and white of Dizzy Gillespie.  Mark had made himself comfortable in a chair by the window and Luis perched on the foot of his bed.  Not wanting to tower over the boy Steve pulled the chair away from the desk and turned to face him.

Luis looked younger than his fourteen years.  His dark wavy hair hung around his ears without conforming to any particular style, and Steve guessed his height at about 5'5".  Though his features and his frame were rounded he wasn't fat, and Steve guessed that pretty soon he'd start to grow and become another gangly youth.  The boy had obviously inherited both his colouring and his build from his father.

"You like jazz?" Steve asked pointing towards the black and white poster.  The icebreaker brought only a nod in reply.  "I hear you play the trumpet;" another slow nod.  Steve waited a moment then asked "Luis, is it OK if we talk about what happened?"

The boy wrapped his arms around himself and whispered, "I guess so."  It was the first time Steve had heard him speak and the voice was low and croaky.

"If you can, just tell me in your own words what happened."

Luis looked up then dropped his eyes to the floor.  Mark and Steve waited and after a pause Luis took a breath and began slowly and steadily.  "I'd been to trumpet practice and Mrs Lippman, my friend David's mother, dropped me off out front.  She waited until I'd opened the door then I waved goodbye and they drove off."  He stopped and placed his hands either side of himself on the bed.  He scrunched a ball of sheets up in each hand then took another deep breath.  "I shouted that I was home, but nobody replied.  It's not unusual for everyone to be out at that time of day and it was Alyson's day off so I headed to the kitchen to get a drink".  Another pause and more balling up of the sheets.  "I…" Luis started but stopped again, swallowed hard.  Steve noticed his eyes beginning to redden.

"It's OK" he assured him "you're doing well just take your time, no hurry."

Luis nodded and continued "I….I went into the study and at first, from the doorway, I couldn't see him."  He stopped again and tears welled in his eyes, but before Steve could speak Luis picked up the story.  Gone was the slow and steady pace "I saw the safe door was open and I knew that was weird so I walked into the room and that's when I saw him lying there and so I rushed over and knelt beside him and…" Mark reached out and touched Luis on the arm.

"It's OK," he told him "just take a breath and slow down a little."

Luis did as he was told "I knelt beside him and there was blood on the front of his shirt and on the carpet, and the gun was right there next to him.  I tried to remember my first aid so I put my fingers here to find a pulse" he demonstrated on his own neck then shook his head "but there was nothing.  I leant over to hear if he was breathing but.." he shook his head again.  "I called 911 and told them where we lived then I just…..I just stayed with him until the paramedics and police arrived."

Steve waited a while but Luis seemed to have finished and was staring off into space.  Now came the hard part.  "Luis" Steve began and the boy flinched a little.  "When you came home did you notice anything unusual, a strange car, anybody hanging about?"

"Nothing" he whispered in reply.

"And when you came into the house, was the door locked or unlocked?"

"Locked" he fired back "the door is always locked, we never leave it open."

"So you put down your trumpet case…."

"By the stairs so I could bring it up to my room later"

Steve smiled and continued "then you went to the kitchen?"

Luis nodded quickly and Steve threw a glance towards his father.  "You got a drink and then you went to the study, is that right?" Steve asked calmly and again Luis nodded.  "But you thought you were home alone, so why didn't you go to your room or to watch TV?  Why did you go to your father's study if you thought he wasn't there?"

Mark shot a stern glance at Steve as Luis sat in silence.  Slowly a look of recognition crept across the old mans face "did you hear something Luis?" he asked "a noise from the study maybe?"  Steve raised his eyebrows to tell Mark to back off and Luis continued to ponder the question.  After a long while Steve probed again

"What made you go to the study Luis?"

"I liked it there" he croaked "all my dad's stuff's there, his big leather chair" he shrugged "it's….I mean it _was_ his place, you know what I mean?"

"I know" Steve replied softly.  "You and your dad were close," it was meant more as an observation than a question but Luis replied non-the less.

"He loved jazz" there was a hint of a smile as he nodded towards the poster.  "He liked most kinds of music in fact.  He played the trumpet too, when he was younger, he was a very talented guy."

"I hear you are too" Mark pointed to the trumpet case in the corner.

The smile dropped from Luis' face "No, I'm lousy.  Lexie is the gifted one; they say she's got mom's looks and dad's talent.  I'm a lousy actor and a lousy musician."

"You get good grades" Mark retorted.

Luis huffed "like that helps me.  Everybody at school thinks I'm a dork; I'm useless at sports and I look like I should be in kindergarten."

"So you get a rough time at school" Steve observed sympathetically.

Luis shrugged "but dad says…_said_….none of that stuff matters.  He says he was the ugly duckling at school and all the kids picked on him.  But he ignored it and he wound up with all this" he raised his palms "ah, God, I shouldn't be whining about this now, none of matters anymore."  He shook his head.

"For what it's worth" Mark leant forward "your dad was right.  Everybody goes through rough patches at school for being smart or dumb or just plain old different.  Your dad was one in a million wasn't he?"  Luis nodded "and that's why everybody loved him."  Luis stiffened but Mark continued, "you may not be like the other kids at school Luis, but a lot of people have told me you are just like your father and I think that's something to be proud of."

Tears began streaming down the young boys face and he nodded slowly.  "He said that to me just before he died" Luis whispered, "he said '_son, you and me are the nice guys of the world'_".  As Luis stared up at the poster in front of him Mark and Steve said their goodbyes and left the boy to mourn his father.

Saturday 20th May      12:05****

Steve felt decidedly uncomfortable as he sat down the corridor in Lexie Simmons' bedroom.  Though she was only sixteen Steve knew enough about teenage girls not to let her age fool him.  She reclined on her bed clutching a stuffed toy to her chest.  The sobbing spells of the last forty minutes had left her with trails of smudged mascara down her cheeks. 

He thought about the dozens of girls he'd seen, Lexie's age and younger, brought in to the precinct on prostitution or drugs charges, sitting in an interview room crying the same black rivers.  The girls usually fell into two categories; the tough talkers who were screaming "I'm a child, help me!" while nobody listened, or the ones who shed the crocodile tears and pleaded for mercy while inside they laughed and sneered at those they were fooling.  He'd made a snap judgement about Lexie the moment he met her.

This was one of the many lulls in the conversation due to Lexie's theatrics, and Steve was starting to lose patience with the young girl.  She looked up at him with doe eyes and sniffed a little.  Her brother had been right when he'd said she'd inherited her mother's looks.  However she hadn't inherited her mother's subtle style, her pleasant features were hidden beneath too much make up, her nails bright pink talons.  Steve shifted in his seat and wished his father were here, wished anybody were here, to chaperone this little performance.  As it was, Lexie had insisted on speaking to Steve alone and now her reasons were becoming clear. 

"Anything else you want to tell me?" Steve asked flatly.

A long sigh was followed by the wringing of hands "it's so difficult" she told him breathlessly "so difficult".

Steve decided to take the bait.  "What's difficult?" he asked, and barely had time to blink before the response came.

"Mom" she cried, shuffling forward on the bed and planting her feet on the floor.

"What about your mom?" Steve prodded gently and Lexie leant forward, her big doe eyes looking up at him again.

"Mom…..she, she….."

Steve tried to hide his anger as another bout of sobbing ensued.  Lexie had already confessed to him her desire to take up acting, but from the show she was putting on today her brother had been more than generous when he described her as talented.  Steve flinched as Lexie placed a hand on his knee,

"Oh detective, I'm so sorry, I'm no use to you at all."

Steve picked up her hand and removed it from his knee trying discreetly to shuffle his chair backwards to make some space between them.

"You've been a great help Lexie" he lied "but if there is anything else you want to tell me, relevant or not, then I'm here to listen."  He forced a smile and it appeared that Lexie wasn't just a bad actress; she was pretty hopeless at spotting a poor actor too.

"It's just mom has……she's had others, you know, other men.  Lovers."

"How do you know?" Steve asked.

Lexie raised her eyebrows and with some venom informed him, "she's not exactly discreet.  She brings them here you know, to our family home.  Daddy knew, Alyson knew, you'd have to be blind or stupid not to know.  That's probably why Luis never figured it out, he may be smart at school but he's got a lot to learn about life" she sneered.  For the first time Steve felt a real pang of sympathy for Lexie and thought that maybe he'd judged her too harshly.  He let her talk some more then stood to leave, handing her his card as he did so.  She scrutinized it as she walked to the door and opened it slightly.  As Steve made his way towards the gap she grabbed his hand,

"This only has your office number on it detective, shouldn't you give me your home number too in case I need to get a hold of you?"

Steve quickly disentangled his fingers and stepped into the passageway.  "If you need me somebody at the precinct will be able to put you through."  He wondered again what had prevented Lexie from joining the masses out on the street, selling their bodies and drugs.  He took a last look through the doorway into her room; was it that she had what she wanted already?  Did she believe that if she kept up this charade, then with daddy's money and reputation behind her she'd make it into the big time?  Or maybe, Steve thought, she's just not there yet; maybe in six months time he'd be running into Lexie Simmons' in less palatial surrounding.


	5. The chicken or the egg

_The chicken or the egg?_

Saturday 20th May      16:22

Mark put down the papers he was reading and smiled at Cheryl as she ran up onto the deck of the beach house.  A glance back down to the waters edge told him his son wasn't far behind.  As Cheryl bent over to catch her breath Mark scolded her "When Steve said you were making him finish work early I took it to mean you were encouraging him to rest, but it looks to me like you are wearing him out."

She smiled and shook her head, "he needs the exercise" she panted as Steve turned and made his way towards the house, "and he needs me to motivate him."

Mark shot her a questioning glance "you beating him is good for his motivation?" he asked, then lowering his voice as Steve approached added "couldn't you let him win for once?"

Cheryl laughed, "then it wouldn't be winning," she told him.

"What wouldn't be winning?" Steve asked breathlessly but his question went unanswered.  Mark headed inside to get some drinks while Steve and Cheryl caught their breath out on the deck.

"Good run today" she smiled as they stretched against the railings, looking back down at the ocean.

"Yeah, it felt good.  Give me another couple of weeks and I'll give a real run for your money."

"Talk is cheap Sloan" Cheryl retorted as she began to breathe more steadily.

"A couple more weeks" he insisted.

"A couple more weeks until what?" his father asked as he returned with the drinks, setting them down on the table.

"Until I'm back to my old self and leaving her for dead down on the sand." 

Cheryl raised her eyebrows "you said it not me."

"Said what?"  He crossed to the table and took a seat.

"Back to your _old_ self" she giggled and Steve scowled.

Mark decided to change the topic of discussion "how is Rod Brown doing with the charity angle?" he asked, but before Steve could reply the phone inside began to chirp and Mark excused himself once more.

Cheryl perched on the edge of the table and picked up a glass.  "I've been meaning to ask you about Rod" she began after taking a sip "I hear he's a bit of a character, how are the two of you getting on?"

Steve mulled it over for a moment.  "I've had cuter partners," he confessed slipping his hand up Cheryl's thigh.  As she turned to look at him she couldn't help but blush as his eyes twinkled back at her.

"I'm serious," she scolded him, trying to mask her smile behind her glass.

Steve rolled his eyes "Rod's OK, a bit bullish, but he's a good detective.  We've pretty much gone our separate ways on this case and it seems to be working alright."  There was a pause before Steve asked, "How are you and Bill getting on?"

"Bill?" Cheryl asked hesitantly, she slipped from the table down into the chair facing Steve.  "God, how long have you got?"

"Go on" Steve prompted leaning towards her.

Cheryl put down her drink, took a breath and began counting the points off on her fingers "Bill Bowman is sloppy, he's cocky, he talks like he's in a twenties gangster movie, he's convinced he'll be the youngest Chief Of Police in history"

"He is young" Steve interjected with a grin

"Yeah, _too_ young" she clarified "it's more like babysitting an overgrown school kid than having a partner some days."  Steve picked up on the subtle change in Cheryl's expression.

"Do you trust him?" he asked seriously.

 "Oh, he's a straight cop" she assured him but Steve shook his head.

"I mean when it comes down to it, is he reliable, is he safe to work with?" he elaborated.

"I dunno" Cheryl shrugged "I think so."

Steve reached across and placed a hand softly on her shoulder.  Her skin still felt warm and clammy beneath his palm.  Subconsciously he dropped his hand a fraction lower, his thumb tracing back and forth along the line of the scar that traversed her triceps.  "You need to _know_ so," he told her gently.

She leant close and cupped a hand around his cheek "don't worry about me."

"But I _do_" he smiled, kissing the heel of her hand "if you aren't confident about Bill you should do something about it."

"Like what" she asked.

The grin was back on Steve's face "find a new partner."  He slid his hand down her arm and gently took hold of her fingers.

Cheryl pretended to mull it over "you wouldn't happen to know anybody looking to fill the role?" she enquired playfully.

"Give me a couple of weeks, I'll pass my medical and I'll be back on the job full time."

"And then you'll find me a new partner?" Cheryl joked

"I wasn't so bad to work with was I?" Steve pouted

"Well….." she left him hanging for a while "You were OK, but I've had cuter partners."

"Very funny" he sighed, releasing her fingers from his grasp and leaning back in his chair.  "But seriously, what do you think about us teaming up again?  Think it would be too much?  Think the department would allow it?"

Cheryl shrugged "we know that we get on and we work well together.  Sure the department has rules but we both know they get bent from time to time.  I think we should see how you go with the medical and take things from there."

Steve cocked his head, "you do think I'll pass the medical don't you?" he asked sounding a little concerned.

A wry smile crept across Cheryl's face "I may need to give you a few more thorough work outs just to be sure you're on top form" she whispered.

Steve grinned "Sure beats running".

Saturday 20th May      17:43****

Later that afternoon Jesse and Amanda joined Cheryl, Steve and Mark on the deck.  CJ and Dion passed a football down on the beach.

"You mean Corrine Simmons admitted to the affairs, just like that?" Jesse asked sounding shocked.

"After I'd talked to the kids I asked Corrine if there was any truth in the _ridiculous_ rumours I'd heard about her having an affair.  She just rolled her eyes, said she'd been going to tell me herself as she knew that her '_behaviour_' was a well-known secret in certain circles.  She said she wanted to clear things up as she had nothing to hide" Steve explained.  "It tally's with what the housekeeper, Alyson, said, and the daughter Lexie.  Max knew about Corrine's infidelity but he was in love with her and he forgave her," there was a pause "_repeatedly_."

"I presume Corrine benefits financially from Max's death" Amanda quizzed.

Steve nodded "some money was put aside for charities and also for trust funds for the children, his mother and nieces, but Corrine gets control of most of the estate."

Mark shook his head "I consider myself a man of the world" he began "but some of the things that woman said almost made me blush."

"Blush!" Steve cried "I thought you were going to pass out when she told you about that fitness coach."

Cheryl and Amanda laughed as Mark's face began to redden at the memory.  "Details" Jesse demanded rubbing his hands together,

"You're far too young and hopefully still too innocent," Mark declared, holding a finger up to hush Steve.

"Corrine's a smart lady" Steve asserted changing topic.  "She knew straight away what we were getting at but her story is that Max was incredibly reasonable about the whole thing.  He acknowledged that he was often away working earlier on in their marriage and that over the past few years he'd been caught up in his charity work.  He even offered Corrine a divorce, said he wanted her to be happy and as long as he had access to the kids and it all remained amicable he'd learn to live with it.  I checked with their family lawyer, Max left the offer on the table, so if Corrine wanted money and freedom she could have easily taken it, she had no need to kill him."

"But even if the offer was generous" Amanda pointed out "it wouldn't have left her as well off as she is now."

Steve shrugged "if that's the case, if she's _that_ greedy, then she's really taken a gamble."

"So let me get this right" Cheryl asked "Max loved Corrine so much, wanted to be with her so much, that he forgave her numerous affairs, but he was happy to grant her a divorce any time she wanted one?  That sounds a like a hell of a contradiction."

"If you love something set it free" Amanda replied.

"Anymore clichés to air?" Steve smiled and Amanda swatted his arm.

"No cliché, but I have a question" Cheryl replied.  "Is there a current boyfriend?"

 "She's taking a break at the moment" Steve answered sceptically.  "What are you thinking dad?" he asked as Mark scrunched up his nose.

"Corrine threw me a bit, you know" he began, "but I get the impression she really was fond of Max, more than that, I think she did love him in her own way.  She doesn't strike me as a murderer…"

"But?" Steve asked hearing the uncertainty in his father's voice,

Mark shook his head, "I think she's hiding something, when you asked about current boyfriends she seemed too…..what's the word?"

"Prepared" Steve offered instantly,

Mark clicked his fingers "exactly!  She knew that we were bound to ask and she knew exactly how she was going to reply.  I think there is another man on the scene, whether that's relevant or not I don't know, but it would be worth finding out."

"If the affairs are so public that shouldn't be hard" Amanda observed,

"You said even the daughter knows about her fooling around right?" Jesse asked.

Steve held up his hands "I could do without having to get too close to Lexie again" he confessed.  Mark answered the questioning gazes

"Seems she had a little bit of a crush on Steve," he explained.

Cheryl couldn't let the opportunity for a jibe to pass her by; "You said she seemed a little disturbed but I didn't realise the poor girl was so bad."

"Hey, it was borderline sexual harassment and I'm quite traumatised, thanks for your concern" he joked.

"So Lexie is taking after her mom as a man eater?" Jesse laughed.

"Seems so" Steve replied "I was going to ask her about boyfriends but to tell the truth I was feeling a little intimidated.  I may broach the subject when I have armed back up with me."

"Mark, you said Corrine seemed prepared for answering Steve's questions?" Amanda asked and was met with nods of agreement.  "Isn't that suspicious, as if she's covering her tracks?  Also, Luis found the body around 4:15 and I would put time of death at just minutes before that.  He must have only missed the killer by moments." A puzzled look crept over Amanda's face "don't you think it's a bit odd that Corrine doesn't have a better alibi for the time frame than driving around town between social appointments?  What if Luis _did_ see something, his mother leaving the house for example, but is too confused or scared to speak up?  You did say he was extremely distressed Mark."

"Amanda's right" Jesse jumped in "Corrine's got nobody to back her story up, she claims she looked in a few shops but she didn't buy anything.  A woman with that much money is killing time and she doesn't sped a dime, now _that_ I find hard to swallow."

"She's got a shaky alibi but so far she's got a tentative motive too" Cheryl reminded them "I don't think we should jump the gun.  Maybe she was prepared for Steve asking about the boyfriend situation but that doesn't mean she's guilty of anything more than adultery and having a sense of reality.  If you knew you were going to be questioned you'd go over what you might say in reply right?"

The others nodded and Steve was quietly thankful that she'd calmed the situation before his friends got carried away.

Mark cast a glance down at CJ and Dion on the beach.  Returning his gaze to his own son he asked "You thought Lexie was holding a lot back?" Mark asserted.

"Oh yeah" Steve nodded.  "She's a terrible actress and spoilt beyond belief which is probably why daddy insisted she spend the summer volunteering at the homeless shelter.  She'd hoped he'd get her a job at SKE, something to get her foot in the showbiz door but Max felt Lexie needed some grounding, needed to learn the value of things.  She hated volunteering, that much was obvious, but she insisted on telling me through gritted teeth how important work like that is and how daddy was so right in fixing her up there.  I get the feeling that she and daddy darling didn't always see eye-to-eye on what was best for little Lexie.  She was genuinely distressed but also holding back on something I just don't know what it was."

"Did she mention Max's brother?" Mark asked and Steve nodded.  "Just said they talked once in a while, he was more of a '_realist_' than her father but that he and Max didn't get along.  Corrine describes Alex as a 'recovering heroin addict', he grew up in Max's shadow and her wording was a little more severe, she said there was 'hostility' between the brothers a while back" he explained.  "She also said that since he's been clean the two of them had been on better terms.  I'm going up to see him in the morning" Steve added and Mark scratched his head. 

"Luis didn't mention his Uncle Alex," Mark told them,

"You think Lexie was right about Luis being in the dark over his mothers affairs?" Steve asked.

Mark pondered it for a moment.  "Didn't say anything to me but you know how withdrawn he was, he could be holding a lot of stuff inside.  It could be that he was somehow sheltered from his mother's actions, or just that he's too socially immature to have realised what was going on.  Maybe that's the difference between him and his sister; she's an old sixteen, picks up on everything, while he's a young fourteen with an innocent mind."

After a moments silence Cheryl leant forward over the table and leafed through the photos of the crime scene.  Shaking her head she turned to Steve "we keep getting caught up in what everybody had to gain; motives and opportunities.  But I still don't understand the basic scenario here" she confessed.

Steve took a photo from her hand and let his eyes scan across, "I know what you mean, it just doesn't fit, which ever way you try and look at it."

"What are you talking about?" Jesse shrugged "safe is all but empty, gun is on the floor, there's a blood stained carpet and that cool outline of the body" he smiled.

"Ah amateurs" Cheryl mocked as Steve slid the photo closer to Jesse.

"Tell me again what you see, what you think happened" he invited Jesse as Amanda and Mark leaned in closer to look at the photo.

Jesse huffed "open safe, outline where the body was found with a gun lying beside it."  Steve nodded and Jesse continued "I think somebody held Max Simmons at gunpoint, forced him to open the safe then shot him to make sure there wouldn't be a witness."

Steve turned to Cheryl, "Sounds _so_ simple, doesn't it?"

"I guess that means I'm wrong" Jesse sulked.

"Are you going to give us a clue?" Amanda asked.

"What do we know about the weapon?" Steve prompted.

The three pondered for a moment while Cheryl and Steve looked on.  Eventually Amanda spoke up "the gun belonged to Max."

Steve nodded and waited for somebody to spot the problem.  Not surprisingly it was his father who, after a few moments thought, figured it out.

"Max always kept the gun locked in the safe.  If somebody wanted to force him to reveal the combination then they couldn't hold him at gunpoint with that weapon, because it was in the safe."

"Chicken and egg" Jesse muttered scratching his head.  "Maybe there were two guns, or another sort of weapon, Max was forced to open the safe and the robber used the gun from inside to kill him."

"Possible though a little pointless you'd think, and why not take the gun when they took the rest of the stuff?" Cheryl asked.

This time Amanda answered "could be the robber was afraid of being caught with the murder weapon."

"Could also be that Max wasn't forced to open the safe" Mark reasoned, "it could have been open already, say if he was working in there, or the killer could have been somebody he knew and trusted."

"What reason would there be for him to open the safe for anybody?" Jesse asked.  "If Corrine wanted her jewellery out then she could open it herself."

Mark shrugged "weren't there papers relating to SKE in there?"

"According to Corrine there were a lot of business papers in there" Steve replied.

"Papers both Craig Emerson and Michael Kent may have wanted to get their hands on.  With Max thinking about pulling out of SKE both remaining partners had interests to protect," Amanda reasoned.

"Maybe that's it" Jesse shrugged "after all who else would want those papers?  The cash and the jewellery I can understand but who'd leave a gun yet take a bunch of contracts?  I think Kent and Emerson have to be top of your list of suspects," he asserted.

"Well thank you detective" Steve mocked "With the money Corrine stands to gain she had motive", he counted the first factor off on a finger, "access to the safe gave her the means" he counted on a second finger and finished the trio with "and five minutes ago you were the one doubting her shopping alibi, implying that she had opportunity.  Now you're putting your money on a business angle instead."

"What can I say" Jesse pleaded, "You get a hunch and you've got to go with it."  Cheryl and Steve groaned,

Cheryl pointed to Jesse "I'm buying you a Cluedo set for Christmas" she joked

Jesse laughed, "you know what I think?  I think all this thinking has made me hungry.  Let's start dinner, whaddya say?"

For once he was met by positive responses all around.

**  
**


	6. Love is an excuse for its own faults

_Love is an excuse for its own faults_

Sunday 21st May 13:15

"Detective Sloan?" the man enquired extending a hand towards Steve, "I'm Alex Simmons, let's go through to my office." Moments later Steve was seated in a very cramped and cluttered little room, which he noticed, had no source of natural light.

"I see you were reading some of our literature out there" Alex Simmons began before Steve could speak. "I'm sure you know enough about me already to know I was in a real bad way due to drugs for a long time. This place, this scheme, is my way of helping others who are in that situation." The sales pitch was over and Alex leant back in his chair. From the photos he'd seen of Max, the two brothers were quite similar looking, and because of that Steve automatically analysed Alex's features trying to work out if Luis would resemble him in thirty years time.

"I'm sorry to hear about your brother's death, and to disturb you on a Sunday" Steve began and Alex stared straight into Steve's eyes.

"Detective Sloan, as I said, I'm in no doubt that you did a lot of research on me before you came here today. You know that Max and I had a falling out, a big one, and that while things between us were….let's say OK on the surface there was still a little tension between us. Let me tell you something" he began. "My brother was a successful guy, and I'm not just talking fame here, ever since we were kids he was well liked by everybody. I'm one of life's drifters, do you know what I mean?" Steve replied with a non-committal nod. Alex pointed to a photo on his desk "my wife and daughters, they are my focus now, but for many years I had nothing, not like Max. It's hard you know, to grow up with this big brother who everybody compares you to."

Steve thought of his own younger sibling Carol, and a shudder ran down his spine. Simmons continued, "Worst of all, I let him down. I wanted to make him proud, but he never understood how hard it was for me living in his shadow. I went off the rails and that was my fault and nobody else's, and Max stood by me through that. But he stood by me purely out of duty as a brother, not because he sympathised with me and you have to understand that. So when I set up this place, there was no money in his pocket to help me out. Max never understood drugs, never had time for those who abuse themselves like that and he just didn't want to be associated with this kind of place. That was his choice but at the time I admit I was pretty angry with him for coming over so high and mighty, deciding who's worthy of his mercy and who's not. But look at this place now, we are doing really well and all without his help, that makes it even sweeter."

Realising the anger in his voice and the look of suspicion on Steve's face Alex blew a short breath and continued. "I had no reason to hurt Max, I know for a fact he didn't leave a cent to me in his will. He said he'd leave something for my kids and I told him that was his choice but if he didn't want his money spent on this project then he'd better not give it to me. This place and my family are all I have and all I believe in and I wouldn't jeopardise any of that for all the money in the world." He folded his arms defiantly over his chest.

"Maybe Max wasn't killed for money" Steve suggested, "maybe somebody had an old score to settle with him."

Alex smiled at Steve's non-too subtle remark. "Detective Sloan, I told you that Max upset me and there were certain things we never resolved. I never lived up to my brothers expectations and there was ill feeling between us but he was my brother and I loved him" he declared. Leaning forward over the desk his eyes bored into Steve's "I loved Max and there won't be a day goes by that I won't kick myself over the fact that he died before we got to be true friends again." Steve felt his throat tighten as his head again began to swim with images of his dead sister.

Sunday 21st May 17:46

"Do you have any news?" Corrine Simmons asked anxiously as Steve again found himself in the luxurious lounge room.

"Only more questions I'm afraid," he informed her. "Mrs Simmons, can you tell me about Matthew Green please?" he asked cutting straight to the chase.

Corrine looked briefly shocked, but her face soon fell into a well-rehearsed smile. "Who told you about Matthew?" she asked "was it Lexie, would you believe she had the biggest crush on him?" '_Yes I Would' _Steve's brain screamed as he tried to keep his face impassive. Corrine chuckled "Oh, I know who, that air-head of a receptionist at the office, the girl spends all day gossiping while the phone rings off the hook."

Steve smiled and tried to steer the conversation once more "If you could just tell me about Mr Green please" he asked again more firmly.

Corrine relaxed back into chair "Matthew was something in the office at SKE" she began casually, "executive something or other, but to tell the truth I don't know what he did for a living, I just know that he was a great guy and we spent a few months together having fun."

"Did Max know about him?"

"I told you yesterday detective, Max always knew, maybe not the details but he was a smart guy and I'm sure there was office gossip. So yes Detective, Max knew about me and Matthew."

"How did the relationship start?"

"SKE function, we got talking, then we got to _more_ than talking, as I say, we had fun."

"And when did it end?" Steve asked.

Corrine thought for a second "about a month ago I guess. I was telling you the truth when I said that I have no…_involvements_ at the moment."

"Why did your _involvement_ with Matthew Green come to an end?"

She shrugged, "It stopped being fun."

Steve wasn't buying that as an answer and pressed her again "It _was_ fun then it _wasn't_? I've been very patient with you Mrs Simmons, please don't test my patience now."

Corrine Simmons examined her well-manicured nails as she filled in some of the gaps. "Matthew Green was…I guess you could say a little green," she giggled. "He got clingy, serious, talked about us setting up home together." She looked Steve straight in the eye. "I have a home Detective Sloan, and I had a loving husband who was also a great father. Why would I give that up? I'd never have left Max, we have two children together and though you find this hard to accept, I loved him dearly." She saw the disbelieving look on Steve's face and pressed the point home. "Our marriage may not have been conventional but it worked for us, Max and I were very happy with our lifestyle. Now if you have no further questions Detective I'll ask you to leave. I'm expecting three hundred guests in less than two days, and I still have countless arrangements to make for the funeral."

But Steve did have another question "when did you last see Matthew Green?"

"Not since the night I told him it was over, about a month ago" she replied frostily.

"Do you know where he is now?" Steve continued.

"No, I suggest you try SKE"

"I already did" Steve informed her and noticed how this information grabbed her attention. "Matthew Green hasn't been seen there since the day of Max's death."

It took Corrine a while to digest this news. "In that case, Detective, I don't know where he is, but it seems you should try to find him."

Sunday 21st May 19:23

"I was just about to come looking for you" Cheryl chirped as Steve walked into her apartment.

He slid his arms around her waist and lifted her from the floor. "Well here I am," he declared, kissing her quickly and standing her back down. "Something smells great" he enthused as he headed to the kitchen and lifted the lid from a pan. Cheryl slapped his hand and he replaced the lid. "Good day?" he asked.

"Oh, the kind of action packed day I joined the force for" she replied sarcastically. "You know, a morning spent catching up on paperwork and an afternoon sat waiting outside a courtroom. Days like this I think I'm going to die from boredom. Dinner will be a while," she added glumly.

"Hey, you can't be out there doing your wonder-woman routine every day" he reminded her. Taking both of her hands in his Steve began dragging her towards the lounge. Flopping backwards onto the couch he pulled Cheryl down on top of him.

She smiled, "What do you think you're doing?"

"While whatever that beautiful smelling stuff is bubbles and boils, I thought we could….simmer" he grinned running his hands up and down her back.

"That sounds good but…"

Cheryl's protest was in vain as Steve pressed his fingers to her lips "you won't get bored" he promised and kissed her tenderly. Just as she began to respond a rap on the door made Cheryl look up, but Steve covered her ears with his hands and tried to kiss her again. She pushed herself free of his grasp and stood,

"Ignore it" Steve pleaded in a whisper reaching out to grab her hand "they'll go away."

But he was too slow, and as Cheryl skipped over and opened the door Steve recognised the voice which asked "I'm not too early am I, are the others here yet?"

"Not yet, come in, make yourself at home" Cheryl replied and from where he lay slumped on the couch Steve watched his father hand Cheryl his coat. Mark shot a worried glance at his son,

"Are you OK?" he asked anxiously and Steve tried to hide his frustration.

"I'm fine dad, I'm just…." he looked at Cheryl who was obviously enjoying his embarrassment "I'm just afraid I'll die of boredom."

A look of confusion crossed Marks face but he didn't voice it. Cheryl returned to the kitchen as father and son began to chat.

Sunday 21st May 20:32

"Alex Simmons told you about Matthew Green?" Amanda asked Steve.

"He found out from Lexie who, it seems, finds her Uncle's wild past very exciting. She calls him regularly and spills the family beans. For his part Uncle Alex is worried that Green may have developed a …..well, let's say an _unhealthy_ interest in young Lexie."

"And Green's gone" Cheryl added.

"According to the receptionist at SKE he was in the office and acting very agitated the morning of Max's death. He's not been seen at the office since and they can't raise him on his cell phone."

"Why didn't Kent or Emerson mention this to you when you interviewed them?" Amanda asked and Steve shrugged in reply.

"Could be that the receptionists idea of '_agitated_' is different to theirs, or that they are so high up in the food chain that they are out of touch with what goes on lower down in the ranks." Cheryl suggested.

"Well, I'll be heading back to SKE tomorrow to talk to Kent and Emerson, driving up to see Alex Simmons just ate a chunk out of my day today" he griped.

"So Matthew Green has got to be a suspect right?" Jesse enthused.

"Until I learn more, he certainly is" Steve replied "we put out an APB on him this afternoon so hopefully we'll find him before too long."

Steve collected the last of the plates and carried them to the kitchen as Cheryl started dishing up dessert, "what was this in aid of?" he asked quietly, nodding towards the table where his father, Amanda and Jesse sat.

"I got home this afternoon and I just thought, '_why not'_," Cheryl explained. "We impose on your father enough, usually with no notice at all, I just thought it would be nice to have everybody over here for a change. And another thing…."

"Hungry people through here" Jesse yelled from the lounge.

"Jesse!" Amanda scolded. Steve picked up an apple, appeared in the doorway and hurled it at his young friend. He didn't wait to see how good his aim was.

"The other thing?" Steve asked turning back to Cheryl,

"Your friends have never been to my apartment, and now that you spend so much time here I just wanted to…." she shrugged.

"Show them it isn't a den of iniquity?" Steve whispered and Cheryl punched him on the arm.

"I wanted them to know that they are welcome here" she paused "I wanted you to know that it's OK to invite people over, that this place is yours too now."

Steve took the bowl that Cheryl was holding and placed it back down on the counter. "Thank you, but you may live to regret opening your doors to this bunch" he whispered and cupping her face in his hands he pressed his lips to hers.

"Need a hand?" Mark asked as he entered the kitchen "Guess not" he answered himself as he turned on his heel and returned to the lounge. "Desert may be a moment," he explained to Amanda and Jesse.

As Steve pulled away from Cheryl she confessed "I think I regret it already". They picked up the bowls and rejoined their guests.

Sunday 21st May 22:20

"Night son, night Cheryl" Mark called as he crossed the road to his car. Steve waited until his father pulled away then closed the front door and locked it. Cheryl headed towards the kitchen and started tidying as Steve followed in behind her.

"And what do you think you are doing?" he demanded.

"Clearing up this mess"

"Not tonight" he informed her removing the cloth from her hands. Cheryl stood with her back to him, and Steve reached around her waist pressing his mouth to her ear. "I'll do it tomorrow" he whispered and began planting kisses on her neck. Slowly she turned around into his embrace.

"Do you think it went OK?" she asked sheepishly.

Steve looked up, laughed and squeezed her tightly "Of course, the food was great" he reassured her.

"But do you think they like me?" she continued.

"How could they not like you?" he asked in amazement "you're intelligent and beautiful and funny" he assured her, punctuating each quality with a kiss.

"Carry on" she instructed him laughing,

"Amanda doesn't have to set me up with her single friends anymore, Jesse doesn't have to worry about me trying to steal his dates and dad sees the possibility of getting his house to himself." This time Cheryl punctuated each reason with a playful slap. "Now leave this mess and come with me," Steve commanded, shuffling backwards whilst still embracing her firmly.

"What do you have in mind Sloan?" Cheryl cooed between kisses.

"Well" he paused "I'm not saying you dinner party was boring," Cheryl glared up at him and he beamed back down at her "but I think your day could still use a little bit of action."

**  
**


	7. Dear diary

_Dear diary_

Monday 22nd May 07:17

"Something's come up, I've got to go" Steve called excitedly through the crack in the bathroom door. Gulping down the last of his coffee he stood his mug down in the kitchen and picked up his keys. As he was unlocking the front door Cheryl appeared wrapped in a towel,

"What happened?" she asked nervously.

"Rod just called, Matthew Green is in custody," he gabbled.

"Where did they pick him up?"

"The front desk" Steve grinned, and on Cheryl's confused gaze he added "he walked in off the street, said he wanted to turn himself in."

"Oh?" she smiled and stepped forward to kiss him goodbye, "take it easy."

"Yeah, yeah, see you later" Steve called as he bounded down the steps letting the door slam closed behind him.

Monday 22nd May 11:16

"Arrogant little son of a ……"

"Take it easy Rod" Steve heard himself say.

"Take it easy!" Brown blasted again, "This stinks, he's in there yanking our chain Sloan. I tell you, I'm buying none of it, not one iota. No way, because this stinks, this whole story of his just…."

"Stinks" Steve finished for him.

Rod Brown crushed the paper cup he was drinking from and tossed it towards the waste paper bin. It bounced off the rim and landed on the floor, "stinks" he muttered as he and Steve made their way back to the interview room.

Matthew Green sat with his lawyer at the far side of the table. He looked up as the two men entered the room and Steve thought that if Corrine was wanting a change from Max she couldn't have chosen any better; in terms of colouring and build Matthew Green was as far removed from Max Simmons as you could get. Steve and Rod each took a seat and began the tape recorder. Steve recited a few details and Rod jumped straight,

"Mr Green, if you can, once more, just so my partner and I are completely sure of what you are telling us here, your version of events in your very own words." Rod sat back and laced his fingers behind his head. Matthew Green was not amused by the sarcasm and responded in a concise monotone.

"I showed up at work on Thursday at my usual time, eight thirty, and was summonsed to Mr Emerson's office. Craig was not at all happy, it seems Max had finally announced to him and Michael that he was going to quit SKE. For reason's known only to himself, Craig laid the blame for his decision at my door. I think he was under the impression that Max couldn't stand to work with me knowing that I'd slept with Corrine, Mrs Simmons. It was rather flawed reasoning because one, if Max truly felt that way he could easily have had me fired weeks ago. Two" he continued "the affair was long since over, and three, let's just say I wasn't Corrine's first fling with a member of SKE staff." Green took a sip of water and carried on.

"But, Craig told me to clear my desk, that he wanted me gone; I presume he hoped that with me out of the picture Max would reconsider. I argued that it was unfair dismissal but Craig isn't dumb, he made sure he had enough against me on paper to cover up the real reason for firing me. So that was it, after all I'd given to SKE I was out of the door and out of a job. I didn't bother to clear my desk I just took off." Until this point Matthew Green had seemed quite composed but Steve now noticed the sweat starting to form on his brow.

"I drove around for a while, trying to calm down"

"You were angry" Rod observed.

"Yes, of course I was angry. I didn't know what to do and then it struck me; Max is…_was_ the fairest person I've ever know, and I was quite sure he had played no part in the decision to sack me. So I decided to go and see him, to explain the situation and to get him to talk to Craig Emerson. I drove over to the house, but nobody was home. I waited outside for a while but nobody showed up. The longer I sat there the worse it got and that's when I did something stupid." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I have a key for the Simmons' house, Corrine gave it to me when we were……. seeing each other. I let myself in, switched off the alarm and started wandering around. I really didn't have any plan going in there, I just found myself snooping about you know?" Green chewed his lower lip "I….I went upstairs into Lexie's room"

A flash of anger crossed both Steve and Rod's faces and Rod warned Green "that's a girl we'll talk about later"

Green struggled to hide a guilty look, turned to his lawyer for guidance but none was forth coming. With a slight tremor in his voice he continued, "I opened the drawer on her bedside cabinet and saw her journal lying in there so I took it out, started leafing through it."

"Seeing if she gave you marks out of ten?" Rod taunted and Green's lawyer objected. Rod shrugged and growled, "Go on."

"I flicked through and there it was, written as plain as day, the code to Max's safe. I couldn't believe how dumb Lexie had been to write it down like that but I guess she's…."

Steve finished the sentence in his head '_she's only a child_.'

"You have to understand I was acting out of character" Green rationalised "I did not plan to rob Max Simmons but it was like divine intervention or something, finding the combination like that. I decided to waste no time, in case somebody came back or I chickened out. I knew where the safe was, I'd seen Corrine get jewellery out of there before though she'd always been careful to make sure I never saw her use the code. I opened it up and took everything that was in there _except_ the gun, I had no need for that. I left the house and drove up the coast, booked into a hotel under a false name in case the police were onto me. I counted the money and realised it wasn't going to make me a millionaire so I went out and got absolutely trashed, slept 'til the following lunch time."

"What time did you leave the Simmons's house?" Steve asked.

"Approximately ten thirty." Steve and Rod knew it put him well out of the time frame for the murder.

"And for the past three days?" Steve continued,

"Holed up in the hotel room like I've been telling you all morning. I took a stash of business documents, contracts and stuff from the safe with the jewellery and cash. I thought going through all that stuff maybe I'd find something useful, something to blackmail SKE with, something to make me rich so that I could leave the country, something that would at least let me get back at Craig Emerson." His eyes reddened "my phone must have rang a thousand times, but by then I'd heard about Max's murder on the news so I didn't dare answer it. I swear on my mother's life I didn't know he was dead until I saw it on TV; the house was empty when I did the robbery. They said the police were treating it as a robbery homicide and I just panicked. I was worried that somehow you'd worked out that I'd done the robbery, fingerprints or something, and that you'd presume I'd done the murder too. I became paranoid; too scared to go out in case the police were after me so I've been surviving on room service."

"So why turn yourself in now?" Rod growled.

"At first I toyed with the idea of going on the run, but there wasn't that much money in the safe you know, not enough to become a fugitive for. I was sure that at any moment you were going to come and break the door down but I was too scared to do anything so I just sat tight. Then last night, just as I was starting to think that you _hadn't_ connected me to the robbery, that I'd got away with it, there it was, my face all over the news, wanted for questioning in connection with Max's murder! I knew it was only a matter of time before the hotel receptionist or somebody recognised me and turned me in. I didn't sleep a wink and that told me that I'm not cut out to be a criminal, so first thing this morning I caught a bus down the coast, I didn't want to be seen in my car. I came here 'cos on the TV they said to contact this precinct with any information."

Steve sighed. Matthew Greens story hadn't changed at all through detailed questioning and three full recitals. Much as he hated to admit it, Steve believed him.

Outside again Rod Brown was still in a rage "he still has no alibi" he reminded Steve, shaking his finger furiously, "he's a smart cookie with a clever story but he still has no alibi."

"Hotel confirms he checked in around one o'clock" Steve began "It's about a two and a half hour drive which fits in with him leaving the house at ten thirty. But that's not to say he didn't drive up there, check in, drive back to LA and murder Max. It's tight but he could have done it, and he admits having access to the property."

There was a moment's silence. "The little scumbag didn't do it did he?" Rod asked disappointedly.

Steve shook his head "We'll wait for forensics but no, I don't think he did."

Monday 22nd May 15:45

"Thanks for doing this" Steve smiled nervously at Cheryl as they stood by the fireplace in the Simmons' lounge room. "I just figured Rod wasn't really the right person to be questioning Lexie you know?"

"And you thought she may open up to a fellow female" Cheryl added.

"I thought she'd be less likely to try and hit onto you" he corrected her. "This is going to be ugly" he continued "questioning mother and daughter about the same boyfriend" he raised his eyebrows.

"What was Craig Emerson's excuse for not informing you about Matthew Green?" she asked as they waited for the two women to grace them with their presence.

"That he really didn't think it was relevant, he denied sacking Green over his affair with Corrine, claimed it was down to repeated misdemeanours and poor work record."

"With a file to back it up" Cheryl smiled.

"And as he'd been sacked, of course he didn't find it suspicious that Green hadn't been around lately." Steve added.

"But wasn't it Emerson who was calling him on his cell, trying to track him down?"

"Yes" Steve nodded. "The likely reason is that he _did_ have some concerns over Greens possible involvement, but his story is that he simply wanted to know where to send Greens personal effects as he'd failed to clear out his desk."

"No way of proving Emerson had any suspicions or that he deliberately withheld information" Cheryl sighed.

Steve nodded towards the door as Corrine swept into the lounge, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Lexie will be down in a moment, can I get either of you a drink?"

Both detectives declined and after a brief and silent pause Lexie Simmons slinked into the lounge and stretched herself out on one of the sofas.

"Hi Lexie, I'd like you to meet Detective Banks" Steve began,

Cheryl stepped forward and extended a hand. "You can call me Cheryl,"

"And you can kiss my ass" Lexie fired back "I know exactly why you are here and you can…."

"Alexandria!" Corrine shouted "Lexie Simmons you apologise right now and sit up straight young lady." Turning to Cheryl Corrine added, "I'm _so_ sorry Detective Banks."

"I'm _so_ sorry Detective Banks" Lexie mimicked.

Cheryl let the air clear for a moment then sat in the chair closest to Lexie. "We want to ask you about Matthew Green" Cheryl began. Steve noticed how Corrine turned and looked out of the French Windows. Lexie dropped her head, "for now, all we are interested in is what happened here the other day" Cheryl explained. "What happened between you and Matthew Green doesn't need to be discussed unless you have something you want to tell us about him."

"I can tell you one thing" Lexie spat "he had no interest in an old slut like her" she jutted her chin to where Corrine stood. "He only went with you 'cos he thought he could get some money out of you."

"That isn't true" Corrine replied fighting back her emotions. She still faced the window "Matthew and I are both adults, we had a relationship. You on the other hand are a child and what he did to you was criminal."

"What he _did_ to me was fantastic" Lexie replied salaciously "You are just a jealous old bitch." Steve sighed realising it was going to be difficult to get anywhere in this catfight.

"Lexie" Cheryl interrupted "do you keep a journal?"

"Why?" the young girl demanded.

"Just answer the question" Cheryl replied sternly. Lexie seemed shocked to be spoken to in such a way.

From the window Corrine answered, "Yes she keeps a journal."

"How the hell do you know?" Lexie demanded.

Cheryl ignored the bickering and continued, "We'd like to see your journal Lexie."

"It's private!" she screamed, "You have no right to see it."

"Lexie grow up," Corrine growled, "if you don't show them the goddam journal they'll only come back with a warrant."

"I don't see the point," she screamed again, and this time it was Steve who butted in.

"Do you want to find out who killed your father?" On Lexie's slow nod he added more gently "then let us take a quick look at your journal."

Without speaking Lexie headed out of the room and Cheryl followed. Once they were gone Steve turned his attention to Corrine. "Mrs Simmons, did you give Matthew Green a key to the house?" She sniffed and nodded in reply "and you showed him how to work the alarm?" he asked again.

Corrine turned to face Steve and he saw for the first time how red her eyes were. "Yes detective, I gave that man free access to my home, to my family. I brought him here for my own selfish reasons yet I never suspected he had ulterior motives of his own. Now I find out he _seduced_ my daughter, robbed us and in all likelihood murdered my husband. Whatever Matthew Green is guilty of Detective, I'm just as much to blame."

Cheryl returned alone and nodded to Steve "Mrs Simmons, Lexie is taking a lie down" she explained, "She's agreed to let me take her journal away." She paused "if she decides she wants to talk to anybody about this business with Matthew Green then you have my number."

"Thank you Detective Banks" Corrine replied turning again to the window "if you wouldn't mind showing yourselves out." Steve and Cheryl did as she requested, stepping through into the marble hallway and out into the midday sun.

"Greens story checks out" Cheryl began as she climbed into the car "the combination is written as clear as day in the back of Lexie's journal."

She started the car and Steve shrugged "Corrine gave Green the key and showed him how to work the alarm. I can't wait to give Rod the news, we both knew Greens story was mighty convincing but the Simmons ladies have just backed him up."

Monday 22nd May 17:04

"Come on Jesse" Steve implored, "Why can't you pick a suspect and stick with them?" The two men sat on the couch in the doctor's lounge drinking coffee. Mark sat at the table looking over some charts. "Yesterday it was Corrine, then it was Craig Emerson and Michael Kent…"

"Who's top of the list now?" Cheryl asked as she strode in closely followed by Amanda.

"Lexie Simmons" Jesse held up a finger "Lexie and Matthew Green were in it together."

Amanda rolled her eyes and took a seat beside Mark, Cheryl poured herself a cup of coffee and leant against the wall "and your theory is?" she asked.

Jesse didn't wait for a second invitation "Lexie was pretty angry with her old man for making her do that charity stuff, she wanted to get her foot in the door at SKE. It's also apparent that she and her mother are at loggerheads." He barely took a breath for fear that somebody would pick holes in his theory. "Matthew Green was jealous because Corrine wouldn't divorce Max to be with him. He also liked the idea of having money and thought that there was potential blackmail material along with cash in the safe. Green had access to the house but not the safe, but he knew that Lexie had a crush on him so he decided to exploit her to get the combination. Lexie's libido and her feud with her mother meant Green easily convinced her. Maybe he promised to get her into SKE unlike Max; maybe he just came clean and told her he was after her daddy's money. One way or another Lexie got her hands on the combination and passed it onto Green, he raided the safe like he said but he killed Max too" there was a pause as a confused look passed over Jesse's face "or maybe Lexie killed Max."

Everybody groaned. "It works" Jesse replied defensively.

"It works from the robbery point of view, but not the murder" Mark corrected him and the others nodded.

"Lexie was mad at her father but he was her best chance of getting into the acting business" Steve reminded him "and financially" he continued "she's not gained anything, all the money Max left for her is tied up in a trust until she's 21."

"All of this is having a terrible effect on Luis" Mark sighed, "Corrine says he's still not sleeping, not eating." He shook his head "I just hope the funeral tomorrow will give him some sort of closure."

"I just hope it doesn't turn into another clash between Lexie and Corrine" Steve added.

"Like mother like daughter" Cheryl agreed.

"You two are going to the funeral?" Jesse asked excitedly.

"Yes Jess, just the two of us" Steve answered calmly as Jesse sulked "Corrine agreed that as long as we didn't bother the mourners we could go along."

"It did take a bit of an exaggeration," Cheryl admitted and a guilty smile crept across Steve's face.

"Well, I just reminded her that Max's killer still hasn't been caught and that it's possible he or she would return to the scene of the crime on such an occasion."

"Steve that's terrible, frightening the poor woman like that" Mark chided his son. "It's good thinking too" he beamed "you'll need to keep your ear to the ground if you are going to figure out which one of that bunch killed Max Simmons."

"Just waiting for one of them to slip up dad" he assured him.

"Good luck" Mark smiled.

**  
**


	8. They who love most are least valued

_They who love most are least valued_

Tuesday 23rd May 14:55

Cheryl and Steve stood side by side, their eyes scanning across the crowds now amassed on the Simmons' back lawn. Tables of food extended down one edge of the pristine green grass and smaller tables surrounded by chairs were scattered all around.

"I'm choking in this thing," Steve complained tugging at the black tie that hung neatly around his neck. He wore a smart black suit over a white shirt, and Cheryl was dressed in what could be described as the 'female' equivalent of his funeral attire.

"Here he comes" Cheryl whispered and as Steve followed her gaze his eyes fell on his father who was making his way towards them.

When he reached them he asked quietly "how did the burial go?"

"Very quietly" Steve responded "and so far Lexie and Corrine have kept the show up here too."

Mark turned and saw the two women in question, dressed head to toe in black and both clearly enjoying the sympathy being lavished on them by numerous guests. "Corrine called me" Mark explained "asked me to come and talk to Luis, it seems he's hidden himself away in his room."

"She told us she'd invited you over" Cheryl replied.

"Well, I'd better go and check on him, leave you to it down here" Mark smiled and entered the house.

"Think we're wasting our time?" Steve asked once his father had left.

Cheryl again scanned the guests assembled in the garden "all the players are here" she observed, "we just have to hope one of them makes a move."

Tuesday 23rd May 15:48

Fifty minutes later most of the guests had made their exits, but the nucleus of Max's family and friends remained. Steve returned from his wander around the garden and as he climbed the steps to the house Cheryl was heading his way. "Think you should see this" she told him quietly and led the way to the lounge. Standing just outside the doorway the two detectives waited and observed.

"I don't even know why you came here" Corrine blasted at Alex Simmons.

"I came to pay my respects to my brother, I have a right to do that don't I?" he yelled back.

"You've paid your respects now leave"

"I'm waiting for Lexie and Luis to come down, I want to make sure they are alright."

"If you cared so much for Lexie" Corrine spat "you'd have informed me and Max the moment she told you what that creep Green was up to. Instead I hear it second hand from the police."

Alex pointed at her "Matthew Green was your fault. You brought him here and you set the example for Lexie, you showed her that it's OK to sleep around. She confided in me and I wasn't going to break her trust."

"Son" Mark whispered, and Steve turned around, "have you seen Luis?" Steve shook his head and Cheryl did the same. Mark grimaced "he got upset and ran out on me, I've looked all over the house but I can't find him."

Alex Simmons came barging out past them "need a cigarette" he mumbled and yanked open the front door, slamming it with a thud as he trotted down the steps.

Steve glanced at Cheryl then turned to his father "I guess we can help you, but only for a few minutes, I want to keep my eye on this pair" he signalled to Michael Kent and Craig Emerson who were in deep discussion by the foot of the stairs.

After a short search Luis was still nowhere to be found. "I guess he'll show up when he's ready" Mark shrugged glumly. Kent and Emerson were no longer by the stairs, but before Steve could query their whereabouts his attention was drawn to the lounge by a sudden crash. All three hurried to find the source of the noise, entering to see a broken vase lying on the floor, and just in time to witness Corrine slap Lexie across the face,

"You little slut" Corrine yelled at her daughter.

Steve strode across and put himself between the two women "that's enough" he warned.

Lexie squealed, "Arrest her!"

"Don't be stupid" Corrine derided.

"Both of you please calm down" Steve sighed.

"He's right" a voice from the sofa chipped in and Steve turned to see both Michael Kent and Craig Emerson sitting there. Kent spoke again "today is supposed to be about Max, not about you two fighting over a zero like Matthew Green."

"Like you're here for Max" Craig Emerson sneered "and not to sweet talk Corrine into selling all of Max's shares to you."

"Grow up Craig" Kent shouted, "it was all very nice having this agreement that we'd always deal fairly and squarely together, but in case you hadn't noticed we aren't partners in a goddam lemonade stall here. SKE is a multi million-dollar corporation, Corrine has a right to sell to the highest bidder and that would be me."

Emerson shook his head "It was all agreed, the two remaining partners would get first refusal on half the shares."

"You know as well as I do that there's a loophole the size of the Grand Canyon in that agreement" Kent laughed. "Even if there wasn't" he continued "It would take you months to raise the capital for half of the shares even at the reduced price." He turned to Corrine "honey, ask the company lawyers, the agreement we made was drawn up by an imbecile, there is nothing on paper stopping you from selling to whoever you want at whatever price." He paused and smiled "I'm telling you now I'll give you a good deal."

Still standing in the doorway Cheryl and Mark both raised their eyebrows. There was a noise behind them and Alex Simmons brushed past them as he walked back into the room.

"Max would be sick if he could hear you talking about money like that" Emerson gushed "SKE was never meant to make us rich, it was supposed to be our dream, the three of us working together."

"Sure Craig" Kent laughed again "but it was SKE's money that bought you that house and that car and let you live the lifestyle you wanted. All that cash but still you blew it, I don't know how you did it buddy, you must be one lousy card player."

"Max never…."

"Don't talk to me about Max, alright Craig" Kent stood and began waving his arms. "You sit there and criticise me for what? For wanting to give Corrine and the kids the chance to detach themselves from SKE and make a fair profit in the process. You begged Max to stay so that you wouldn't have to sell out to me, so you'd have a chance to make some money back. You didn't care about Max, I'm a businessman Craig, but you are just a leech!"

"Are you two finished?" Alex Simmons asked. Steve turned and noticed for the first time that Lexie was holding tightly onto her uncle. Realising that the spotlight was again turning her way she began to sob,

"Give it a break Lexie," her mother scolded and Steve sensed another storm brewing.

"I will not give it a break," Lexie shouted back, slipping free of her uncles embrace. "You've spent all day shedding your crocodile tears, but I know you were checking out half the guys here, seeing who can fill dad's shoes, or should I say his bed?"

Corrine stepped forward towards her daughter but Steve reached out an arm to hold her back. "I loved your father" Corrine declared,

"You loved his money" Lexie hollered back,

"And so did you" Corrine retorted. "I loved Max but I loved being Mrs Max Simmons too, I admit it. And you loved being his daughter, being stopped when you were with him out on the street, the way your name opens doors for you. You loved everything he had to offer you."

A movement at the other end of the room caught Steve's eye. He abandoned his position as human barrier between Corrine and Lexie and made his way quietly towards the back wall. There tucked up in a corner with his chin resting on his knees sat Luis Simmons. As Steve got closer Luis' head shot up, he spotted Steve and made a dash for the door. Mark attempted to stop him as he rushed past but the young boy was too quick, and soon they heard a door upstairs slam.

The room fell silent. Lexie resumed her position engulfed in her uncle's arms and Craig Emerson and Michael Kent again sat motionless side by side on the sofa. Mark approached Corrine Simmons as Cheryl and Steve looked on. "I think you should go and talk to Luis" Mark told Corrine.

She shook her head "he needs time to himself, I told you he's a private sort of a boy."

Mark grimaced "I don't know, I really think he needs somebody to be with him now."

"I'll go" Alex offered,

"No" Corrine snapped "you treat him just like you did Max."

"What does that mean?"

"You always thought Max was some sort of fool, not masculine enough for you. Just because he didn't join you in your drinking binges and….you know. Not everybody responds to a slap on the back Alex."

Steve and Cheryl cast their eyes to the ceiling as a faint thump sounded from above.

"Corrine" Mark tried again "I really think you should go up and see him, even if it's just for a little while." This time she seemed to consider his suggestion more seriously.

"Mark, it's a dreadful thing to admit, but I wouldn't know what to say to him. He and Max were so close; whenever Luis had a problem it was Max he would go to not me. He is so like his father, sensitive and sweet." She smiled "Max used to joke that he and Luis were the last of the nice guys."

Mark looked towards the doorway and back at Corrine "I'll go up" he told her and she smiled in response. As Mark crossed the room Mrs Simmons turned her attention to Steve,

"Detective Sloan, I'd like you and your partner to leave now" she began curtly, then turning her attention to the rest of the remaining guests added, "actually, I'd like you all to leave now."

Michael Kent and Craig Emerson rose from the sofa and straightened their ties before making their way silently towards the door. Steve headed towards Cheryl but as he turned back towards the room he noticed Alex Simmons had not moved from his position by the window, where he still had his arms wrapped protectively around his niece. "Lexie" Corrine muttered without emotion "I think you should go to your room now, Uncle Alex will be leaving". Remarkably the young girl did not answer back but slipped free of her uncles arms and kissed his cheek before leaving the room with her head bowed. Steve and Cheryl followed her into the hallway and watched her ascend the stairs. Alyson was waiting by the front door to show them out.

In the car Cheryl asked "Did show time throw any light onto the subject?"

Steve shook his head and watched Alex Simmons walk down the steps and get into his car. "It explains why Emerson was so keen for Max to stay with SKE, he couldn't afford to buy half the shares if Max left and with a majority Kent would no doubt try and squeeze him out."

"But he's no better off now Max is dead" Cheryl observed.

Steve sighed "I'll tell you one thing, I feel really sorry for Max Simmons. If he _was_ such a nice guy he really didn't deserve to be surrounded by such a selfish, soulless bunch."

Cheryl smiled "hey, as they say, what's a funeral without a fight?"

Steve laughed as they answered in unison "_dead boring_."


	9. The female of the species

_The female of the species _

Wednesday 24th May 09:11

"Wasn't easy getting prints off the weapon" Rod growled as he crossed the floor to Steve's desk "least that what the shmucks in the lab are saying to cover their ample behinds. The blood smeared most of them and the kid moving the weapon just about wiped away the rest but they persevered and" he handed a sheet of paper to Steve "they did bring up two other partials."

Steve scanned the page and frowned "well as we've ruled out suicide Max Simmons' prints don't cast much light."

"It was his weapon and the poor sap probably grabbed for it in the struggle" Rod agreed. "Which begs the question…"

Steve groaned in response.

Wednesday 24th May 12:17

Lexie sat flanked by her mother on one side and her lawyer on the other. Steve and Rod had taken up positions on the opposite side of the table and from behind the huge one-way mirror, Mark, Cheryl and Jesse looked on.

The lawyer spoke up "May I remind you that my client is a minor and has already admitted to having access to the safe, a fact which you verified for yourself I believe."

"Didn't your mommy tell you never to play with guns Lexie?" Rod scolded.

"Please refrain from…" the lawyer butted in only to be interrupted himself by Lexie.

"This is crazy, _CRAZY_" she pleaded, her eyes boring into Steve's. "You believe me Detective Sloan, _please_ say you believe me" she implored.

Steve remained silent, still cursing his mixed instincts over the young actress. She seemed genuinely scared by the proceedings but strangely enough there had been no shock in her eyes when they'd informed her of the forensic results. What was she scared of, he wondered. That she'd been found out? Or that she was an innocent girl caught in a very adult drama?

****

"I want to believe you Lexie" he began in a soothing voice, "just tell us how your prints came to be on the gun."

"I don't know" she whined, "I don't remember"

"You'd better start remembering" Rod scowled.

"Take your time" Steve soothed before the lawyer could object, and Lexie responded by once again gazing into his eyes.

Corrine huffed and drummed her fingers on the table.

"I'm sorry Mrs Simmons" Rod snapped "are we keeping you from something?"

"I just don't see the point of this" she retorted.

"The point" Rod bellowed "is finding out who killed _Mr _Simmons. It may not be a priority for you, but it sure is for us."

"Rod" Steve silenced his partner with a glare.

"For goodness sake, you have Matthew Green in custody, he's admitted the robbery so what makes you believe he didn't kill Max too?" Corrine barked.

"Mom!" Lexie squealed "Matt would never hurt anybody, how can you say that?"

"We haven't closed any avenues of our investigation just yet" Rod replied in answer to Corrine's question.

"What does that mean?" Lexie quizzed Steve anxiously "you can't think Matt did this!"

"For goodness sake Lexie they think _You_ did this, so forget about Matthew Green and just tell them how your prints got on the gun" her mother sighed.

"Forget about Matt! What, like you did?" Lexie rose to her feet "Well I'm not like you mom, I don't just get tired of people and drop them when it suits me. Matt and I love…"

Corrine shook her head "Lexie, for all we know he murdered your father…"

"No he didn't!" the young girl squealed.

"Lexie" Steve interrupted

"He didn't do it" Lexie continued "he couldn't have done it, he _couldn't_ have" she rambled. "He took the stuff from the safe but he didn't kill dad, _he couldn't have_." She paused for breath and when she spoke again it was in a more measured tone "He couldn't have killed dad" she stated firmly "because dad was alive when I got home from school."

Wednesday 24th May 12:24

A degree of calm had washed over the interview room after Lexie's surprise announcement. Steve knew he had to move gently now that Lexie was talking. "In your earlier statement you said you'd gone straight to a friends house after school, but now you're saying that's not right?"

****

"Nice and gently" Cheryl coaxed him from the observation room. On Jesse's puzzled look she repeated "_that's not right_", adding, "he can't come out and ask why she _lied_, accuse her of anything or she'd just clam up."

"At least Steve has some sort of rapport with Lexie" Mark observed.

"Yeah, unlike Rod" Jesse scoffed "what was that? Good Cop Bad Cop?"

"Something like that" Cheryl smiled "Get her angry, get her shouting, and you never know what she might blurt out. But now she's talking they've got to keep her calm, keep her, and the lawyer on their side"

Back in the interview room Lexie seemed to be weighing up her options. "Lexie?" Steve asked in an almost whisper and leant across the desk to close the gap between them a little. "Let's just start from the beginning, everything that happened that day."

"Everything?" she questioned meekly.

"Everything" Steve clarified. "Just tell us everything you know, everything that happened and we can start to sort this whole thing out."

She looked at him for guidance and he nodded for her to begin.

"Matthew called me" she began

"What time?" Rod butted in immediately, seemingly unconcerned by the latest revelation. Next-door Cheryl winced at his first interruption.

"A little after 10:15, recess was just over" she replied calmly.

"Go on" Steve prompted.

"Matthew had driven to the house, he was calling me from the car. He said he'd been sacked, he was really angry and it took a while for him to calm down enough for me to understand what he was saying."

"And what was he saying?" Steve probed gently.

"He said that he'd been sacked and that it wasn't his fault and it wasn't fair. He said that he'd driven over to the house to get dad to reason with Craig but that nobody was home. He asked what time dad would be back and I said that I wasn't sure, then he asked where mom and Alyson were and I said I wasn't sure about mom but that Alyson wouldn't be in until five, it was her day off. So then he said he had a plan," Lexie paused, glanced at her mother and began to chew her lip. After a moment she took a breath and continued. "Matt asked if I loved him and if I wanted to be with him and I said sure, so he said that if nobody was home he could use his key to get into house and he could steal the money and stuff from the safe. Only problem was….." Lexie again cast a guilty look towards her mother "he needed to combination for the safe."

"Oh you stupid, stupid girl" Corrine muttered casting her eyes to the ceiling.

"Mrs Simmons" Rod glared.

Lexie continued without hesitation "I told Matt I had the number written in my journal so I flicked through until I found it"

"You had your journal with you at school?" Steve clarified.

Lexie nodded and carried on "I gave him the number and he said not to worry, he'd call me in a few days when the dust had settled and we'd arrange to meet somewhere and that would be it."

"Did you hear from Matthew Green again?" Steve asked gently. Lexie shook her head glumly and cast her eyes down to the table.

"Can you tell me what happened next Lexie?" he invited calmly.

"School stuff" she shrugged, alternating again from confident young woman to scared teenager.

"And after school?"

"I went home" she replied simply.

"What time was that" Rod asked less gruffly this time.

"About 3:30 I guess, that's my usual time" she shrugged. "Yeah, 3:30."

"And your dad was home?" Steve prodded carefully.

She nodded "Yes, and he was _alive_" she stressed turning towards her mother "so there is _no way_ Matt killed him when he opened the safe" she declared petulantly.

Not strictly true, Steve thought, it was still possible that Green had returned to murder Simmons. Possible, but looking increasingly unlikely, especially with none of his prints on the weapon and no gunpowder residue or blood on his clothes.

"What happened at home?" Steve enquired.

"Nothing _happened_!" she growled defensively, then realising it wasn't an accusation she continued more calmly. "I mean, nothing like you're thinking. Dad was there and the safe was open in his study but he didn't say anything about it, which I thought was a little weird. But I was worried, you know, like maybe Matt had been caught doing it or something so I asked, sort of casually, where's all the stuff from the safe?"

"And what did your father say?" Steve prompted.

Lexie sighed deeply "At first he said it wasn't anything for me to worry about, but we went back and forth a little and I guess he could tell that I was getting agitated. So he said that a "_friend_" of mom's had taken the stuff." She glared at her mother "so I asked how he knew and he said that he'd seen him driving off. He guessed mom had given him a key like she usually did with her latest beau, and now that the guy was upset, I don't know if he meant with mom for ditching him or with him for getting the sack at SKE, but that he'd probably taken the stuff because he could, and for revenge."

"So your father had seen Matthew Green driving away from the house?" Steve asked for confirmation. Lexie nodded. "Did he mention Green by name?"

"No" Lexie shook her head, "but it must have been Matt he saw driving off".

"So your dad told you he knew who'd robbed him, then what happened?"

"OK, so I asked dad if he'd called the police, 'cos I wanted to know if Matt had been arrested or if I needed to warn him or anything."

Steve nodded to show he understood her train of thought.

She continued; "Dad said he hadn't and I asked why not." Lexie gave a nervous laugh "I think dad was getting suspicious with all my questions, said it was really nothing for me to be worried about. Then I asked….I.." A guilty look crept over the young girls face. In a barely audible whisper she continued "I asked how much."

"How much what?" Steve asked softly, again leaning in to close the gap and to better hear her response.

"I asked how much money had been in the safe" Lexie admitted meekly.

"Typical" Corrine spat.

"That's was dad said" Lexie continued shyly. "Said not to worry, the guy got peanuts, a measly ten grand. '_Don't worry Lexie'_ he said, '_you'll get your allowance at the weekend like nothing's happened'_."

For the first time Steve noticed tears welling in Lexie's eyes and his heart sank. Surely it wasn't the thought of Green getting so "little" money that was at last bringing out some real emotion in the girl.

"I was angry" Lexie continued calmly, focussing on the space between Rod and Steve. "I was angry that Matt had got ten measly grand and I knew he'd be angry too. Dad always kept so much more in the safe, I don't know why there wasn't more." Indeed she looked truly perplexed. "And I was angry at dad for being so calm, I don't know why, maybe I was just frustrated. And I asked him, is that why you didn't call the police, cos it was only ten grand? And he said _only? _Didn't I know what ten grand could do for starving children, didn't I know how long and hard my grandparents would have had to work to make ten grand? He didn't say it but I knew what he meant, I'm spoilt and I don't know the value of anything. One of dad's favourite lectures."

Steve gave her a moment to compose herself then asked "what happened next Lexie?"

She snorted "I walked over to the safe, that big, empty safe. I was just looking at all that space thinking how much money _could_ have been in there. All that was left was the gun and box of bullets, lying in the middle, and I walked over and picked it up." She looked closely at the expression of each person around the table then resumed. "I picked it up and turned it over in my hand a couple of times until dad saw me and told me to put it down" she paused "and so I did. I put the gun down and I laughed, I laughed 'cos I still couldn't believe it and I said" she chuckled "I said the stupidest thing. I said Matt is going to be so pissed when he finds out he got ten measly grand."

Lexie broke into a broad, desperate smile. Her lawyer had long since relaxed, defeated, in his chair and Corrine was staring blankly at the door, shaking her head solemnly.

"How did your dad react when you mentioned Matt's name?" Steve asked.

Lexie laughed again "there was like a three second delay, you know? Like his brain had the information but couldn't quite process it. Then it all clicked and he looked angry at first, but he soon fell back into _good old Max_ mode." She looked across at her mother for support "you know, make everything better, damage control, whatever you want to call it. The first thing he actually said was '_Thank God I didn't call the police'_. And I gave him this look 'cos I still really didn't understand why he hadn't and he says to me '_It would be hard enough explaining that my wifes lover had robbed me but could you imagine the field day the press would have if they'd found out he'd been taking advantage of my daughter too!'_" With those words the smile fell from Lexies face, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Steve. He gave her a moment then waited until she made eye contact and nodded for her to continue.

"The rest, Detective Sloan, really makes no difference" she croaked.

"We'll be the judge of that" Rod jumped in.

Lexie shook her head "I told my father that Matt hadn't _taken advantage_ of me and gave him plenty sordid details to back that up." Her voice began to quiver "I told my father he was self righteous and boring and feeble and I told him" a single sob escaped "I told him I _hated_ him, and then I left." More sobs, yet Corrine made no attempt to comfort her daughter. Lexies lawyer leant forward in his chair but before he could speak Lexie sobbed once more "I told him I hated him then I went across to Margarets house. He was alive when I left Detective Sloan, Matt couldn't have killed him and I certainly didn't, and I don't care if any of you believe me or not 'cos this is all such a mess, such a mess, such a……"

Rod terminated the interview as Lexie disintegrated into tears.

"I'll confirm the story with this Margaret girl" Rod told Steve in hushed tones as Lexie left the interview room. The lawyers comforting arm around her Steve noticed, not her mothers.

"OK" Steve nodded, "I'll go through the interview tape and then we can talk to Green again, check that his story holds up."

"Should do" Rod asserted.

"Yeah, getting the safe number from the journal is the only discrepancy that jumps out" Steve noted.

Rod shrugged "If you see a ray of light at the end of this particular tunnel, get out the way." Steve raises a questioning eyebrow. "The way this case is going" Rod explained "it may just be a train."

****


	10. Playing the odds

_Playing the odds_

Wednesday 24th May 14:50

Jesse and Mark were in the doctors lounge filling Amanda in on the details of Lexie's revelations earlier that morning when Cheryl and Steve entered each carrying a brown paper bag. Steve had barely sat down before he grabbed a sandwich from the bag and started to munch quickly.

"Late lunch?" Mark asked Cheryl knowing he was unlikely to get a response from his son while his mind was so obviously focussed on eating.

She nodded, removing a juice carton from her bag and piercing the top with a straw. "Rod interviewed Lexie's friend Margaret again, gave her his speech about good citizenship and what happens to little girls who lie in murder investigations. She soon changed her tune; Lexie did go home after school but turned up at Margarets at about 3:55. Her mother confirms that Lexie was there when she got home at four."

"So that ties in right?" Jesse asked and Steve mumbled something to the affirmative through a mouthful of food. "She got home at 3:30, fought with Max, stormed to her friends just before four." He nodded thoughtfully "now I don't want to say '_I told you so'_, but…"

"Jesse!" Amanda tried to quell his enthusiasm.

"What!" Jesse shrugged "I told you Lexie and Matthew Green did the robbery together, what can I say, I had a hunch and it turned out to be a good one."

Mark shook his head in disbelief "Jesse, I don't know how to say this" he chuckled "but if you back _every_ horse you're bound to be a winner."

On Jesse's confused look Steve took a pause from eating and clarified "At one time or another you've suspected everyone, so you're bound to be right." Jesse slouched in his chair and folded his arms. "But" Steve conceded, "technically you _were_ right about Lexie and Green" he took a sip from Cheryl's carton. "And we cleared up the confusion over how exactly Green got the combination" he continued "Cheryl and I had another chat to him, hence the late lunch. When Green turned himself in he was under the impression that his relationship with Lexie was still a well-guarded secret. Not wanting to add to his troubles or involve her he realised the only thing linking them together was her giving him access to the safe combination."

Cheryl took over as Steve devoured another mouthful of sandwich. "When Green called Lexie at school she told him she had the code written in her diary, so when he decided to turn himself in…"

Amanda nodded "he bent the truth, said he'd found her journal while snooping around the house."

"It removed Lexie from the robbery but it was also quite a clever move in another way" Mark interjected running a finger across his top lip. He wagged a finger "if Green admitted knowing the code before entering the house it would have shown his actions to be pre-meditated. But by saying he entered the house with no purpose and stumbled across the combination it made it look like a spur of the moment decision. A jury may have viewed that scenario less harshly."

"No matter now" Steve shrugged "we know that the robbery was pre-meditated and that Lexie was a willing accessory."

"Will she be charged?" Amanda asked.

Steve sighed "Technically, nobody has filed a complaint regarding the robbery. Max certainly didn't, probably for fear of bad publicity as Lexie told us. We are still holding Green under suspicion of murder but it's been two days and with lack of physical evidence his lawyer will probably have him out before tonight."

"Doesn't Corrine want to press charges over the robbery?" Jesse asked.

"And spoil the grieving widow act?" Cheryl raised her eyebrow and shook her head. "She doesn't want the bad publicity any more than Max did, and now that we know Lexie was involved she wants the whole matter brushed under the carpet."

"But she can't do that!" Jesse exclaimed, "a man is dead!"

"I know" Steve replied calmly "but it look's increasingly as though the robbery and the homicide were two unrelated crimes committed at two different times."

"By two different people" Amanda added.

"No" Jesse shook his head, "All we have is Lexie and Green saying the robbery took place at 10:30, no independent witness or evidence to back that up. Then we have Lexie saying her dad was alive when she left around 3:45. For all we know they could be pulling the wool over our eyes."

Mark frowned "It _is_ possible that Green checked into the motel at 1:00 then drove straight back down to meet Lexie at the house at 3:30."

"Tight time frame" Cheryl reminded him.

"But possible" he continued. "As Max didn't report the robbery it is possible that it took place later in the day."

"Why lie?" Steve shrugged "Green admitted the robbery, why lie about the timing?"

Jesse rolled his eyes "to cover up a murder, maybe?" he replied sarcastically. "After all, we only have Lexie's word for the fact that her father was alive when she left to go to her friends. What's to say she, _or_ Green, _or_ both"

"Back _all_ the horses" Amanda chimed in.

Jesse ignored her and continued, "they could have killed Max, Green could have driven back to the hotel and Lexie could have gone to her friends" he finished triumphantly.

Steve shook his head and sighed "no physical evidence Jess"

"Lexie's prints on the gun" the young doctor reminded him.

"Max didn't die any earlier than four pm and Lexie was at her friends house by then, she has a solid alibi" Amanda reasoned back.

"Knowing he died no earlier than four and that Luis arrived home at ten past also rules out Emerson and Kent as suspects as they were in a meeting." Steve added. "As for Alex Simmons, he has no alibi until he turned up at the self-help centre at four thirty when he conducted a tour for potential contributors. It's over an hour and a half's drive from the murder scene to the centre, and yes he _would_ have to drive" Steve clarified before Jesse could jump in "no private helicopter waiting for him, no way he covered the distance in twenty minutes."

"Then Green" Jesse shrugged, "it has to be Green, sure the timing is tight but it's possible." On the disbelieving looks he asked "why not?"

"No prints on the gun" Mark replied.

"It's tough getting prints from a bloody weapon dad," Steve reminded him.

"Ha!" Jesse chirped triumphantly.

"I bet there was no gun shot residue on Green's hands or clothes" Amanda came back.

"But" Jesse jumped in "didn't you say" he asked looking to Cheryl "that there are instances where residue isn't found on the shooters hand?"

Steve chuckled and smiled at his partner "he's got you there, got to be careful what you say around him, he picks everything up you know."

Cheryl nodded slowly "Yes Jesse, you are perfectly right" she smiled and the young man beamed back with pride. "And a little more information about residue for you. We tested Green four days after the murder but reside is often gone from skin in as little as three hours."

"You're helping me prove my case" Jesse laughed.

"But doesn't residue stay on clothes, fabrics, for much longer?" Mark asked.

"Yes it does" Cheryl agreed "and we tested Green's clothes, but there is no way of confirming that they were the articles he wore for the robbery."

Jesse nodded "could be he ditched the things he was wearing." A huge grin spread slowly across his face. "You have to admit it _is_ possible. Lexie met Green at the house after school, _she_ opened the safe, _he_ took out the money _and_ the gun. Lexie left for her friends, hence the alibi, but Green hung around whether Lexie knew it or not. Then either Max disturbed Green and the shooting was an accident or Green intended to kill Max, lay in wait and shot him in cold blood." He grinned at his audience who sat in silence as he raced to his conclusion. "Admit it, I'm right, Matthew Green killed Max Simmons" he slapped the table.

A small chuckle escaped Steve as he couldn't help but be amused by his friends tenacity. Tenacity and an attention to detail, just like his father, all he needed now was a dose of maturity, a smattering of patience and he'd be well on the way to being another Mark Sloan, if that was possible.

"Alright" Steve conceded at last "I admit that, technically, _theoretically _that is, Green _could_ have murdered Max" Jesse beamed proudly "But" Steve continued, "we still have no physical evidence."

"So he covered his tracks" Jesse smiled back.

"His story ties _perfectly_ with Lexies" Steve countered.

"They collaborated!"

"The window of opportunity left no margin for error"

"So he got lucky" Jesse shrugged. "It may have been tight but he did have _opportunity_" Jesse grinned "and with the code to the safe he also had _means_"

Steve smiled as he realised Jesse was using the same criteria Steve had outlined just a few days previously. He didn't take much satisfaction from drawing his friend's attention to his one omission. "Two out of three ain't bad," he admitted genially "but what about _motive_?"

"Er, well" Jesse stammered as his mind searched for a retort. His eyes scanned the ceiling before falling back on Steve. "He got sacked" the young man suggested without conviction.

"Not by Max" Amanda reminded him

"Corrine dumped him" he changed tact, this time with more fervour in his voice.

"So why go after her husband?" Cheryl asked "And if Corrine was so important to him, why sleep with her daughter?"

Jesse was silent for a moment then glanced at his watch. Rising from the table he straightened his lab coat, "you can't prove he's innocent" he shook his head, "lack of evidence doesn't mean he didn't do it."

"No it doesn't Jess" Steve agreed "but we have this little legal quirk where we presume people are innocent until we prove otherwise."

Jesse huffed "He did it, OK, I'm backing _one_ horse, Matthew Green, call it a hunch but I just know he did it" he stated resolutely. "Now I've got rounds" he snapped and headed for the door.

As he left Cheryl smiled at Mark, Amanda and Steve, "Where did you find that guy!" she giggled.


	11. A rose by any other name

_ A rose by any other name_

Wednesday 24th May   18:02

It was three hours later when Mark met Steve at the Simmons house.

"Where's your car son?" the old man asked as Steve crossed the gravelled yard and opened the car door for his father.

"Got a squad car to drop me off" he explained.

"So what have you got?" Mark asked expectantly as he stepped out and closed the door.

"After we left the hospital" Steve began "Cheryl and I were going over the time frame again."  Mark nodded and the two men began walking towards the house.  "It's such a short window of opportunity, forensics show time of death to be four at the earliest, and Luis was dropped off at 4:10."  Steve paused as they drew closer to the house.  "So the likelihood of Luis, or Mrs Lippman and her son seeing something is pretty high right?"

"Right" Mark agreed.

"So, I called on the Lippmans and they are sure they didn't see a thing"

"I don't understand" Mark screwed up his nose, "how does that help you?"

"It doesn't, really.  But Mrs Lippman is positive it was 4:10 on the dot when she pulled away from the house because the weather report came on the radio."  Steve looked towards the door of the house then lowering his voice continued "back at the station I went over the file without really knowing what I was looking for you know?"

"What did you find?" Mark asked, knowing there must be something.

Steve straightened up "Luis arrived home at 4:10, got a drink, and went straight to the study"

"That's right" Mark nodded.

"But the 911 call was time stamped at 4:21" Steve whispered and resumed his walk towards the front steps.  "Eleven minutes to get a drink and make a call?" he raised his eyebrows.

Mark reached out and grabbed Steve's hand just as he was about to ring the doorbell, "what are you saying?" he asked sceptically.

"I'm saying eleven minutes is a long time"

"That Luis may have seen something in that time he's not telling us" Mark surmised.

"Exactly" Steve smiled and rang the bell.

Wednesday 24th May   18:07

Mark stood at the foot of the stairs watching his son wander from the front door towards the kitchen.  Steve disappeared through the doorway and a few moments later Alyson, the Simmons' housekeeper came down the stairs and addressed Mark.

"Where did the Detective go?" she asked levelly.

"Oh, I think he went to get a drink, hope that's OK?" he lied.

"Sure, I'll go and see if he needs a hand."  She made a move towards the kitchen but Mark halted her with a question.

"Did you call Mrs Simmons?" he smiled hopefully.

Alyson nodded "she's due home soon but she has no problems with you talking to Luis again as long as he's happy with that."  She glanced again towards the kitchen.

"And is he?" Mark asked.

"I'm sorry?" the housekeeper asked distractedly.

Mark pointed up the stairs, "I take it you went to speak to Luis, is he OK with us having a chat?"

Alyson nodded whilst still gazing towards the kitchen.  When Steve appeared, still maintaining his languid pace, she seemed confused but began to relax.  "Yes, Luis will talk to you" she followed Steve with her eyes as he moved towards the study.

"Do you mind?" he pointed to the door and when she shrugged in reply he entered and crossed the room.

Mark smiled bashfully "likes to be thorough" he offered by way of explanation.

A few moments later Steve re-appeared, checking his watch and scribbling in his notepad.

"Luis will speak to us now, his mother says it's fine" Mark informed his son who flashed a smile at Alyson before making his way up the stairs.  At the top and out of earshot of the housekeeper Mark stopped Steve and asked, "Well?"

"Even if he fumbled to open _and_ close the front door, spent plenty of time deciding what to drink, then _meandered_ over to the study, I'd say he can't have discovered the body any later than 4:14" Steve closed his notebook.

"He felt for a pulse" Mark added "probably panicked a little"

"He sounded fairly calm on the 911 recording" Steve reminded him "but that could be due to shock I suppose".

"Even so" Mark continued "say he panicked, maybe even found himself in shock for a minute or two…" the old man tailed off shaking his head.

"If Luis has been comprehensive in his statement of events, then even standing there in shock for two minutes would mean we'd expect the 911 call to have come in by 4:17.  What happened in the four minutes between then and 4:21?" he asked flatly.

"I don't know" Mark shrugged "but you know that he's still very upset Steve."

"I know dad" he replied reassuringly "we just have to face to possibility that Luis saw or heard something that he isn't telling us."

"But he doted on his father" Mark whispered "why would he hold back, who would he want to protect?  Surely not Matthew Green."

Steve rolled his eyes "you're backing Jesse's horse too now?  Look, maybe he's not protecting somebody else; maybe he's protecting himself.  It could be he's scared by who ever did this, he's only a child after all."

"But he _could_ be protecting somebody else" Mark pondered out loud "Corrine still has nobody to back up her alibi that she was out shopping."  The old man sighed sadly "do you think he could have been in the house when Max was actually killed?" he asked incredulously. 

Steve shrugged "I really don't know.  It could be nothing, as you said, if he was in shock or panicking there's really no way to account for his time, but I just get the feeling something's amiss here."

"A hunch" his father smiled.

"A hunch" Steve nodded.

Wednesday 24th May   18:11

Steve immediately noticed the subtle changes in Luis' room since their last meeting there.  Though he'd thought it incredibly tidy last time, it now seemed almost sterile.  Three cardboard boxes stood under the large window, each neatly labelled with contents Steve presumed, though he couldn't read the writing from this distance.  Having a clear out, he wondered, or finding a way to keep himself occupied?

Again using the chair from the boy's desk Steve seated himself as his father perched on the end of the bed.  Luis hovered by the window, only half facing the room. 

"How are you doing Luis?" Mark asked softly.

"OK" came the murmur of a reply.

"I hear you are going back to school tomorrow" he continued.

"So they say" came the non-committal answer.

Mark picked up on the young boys insecurity.  "Are you happy about going back?" he asked.

Luis shrugged "who's ever happy about going back to school?" he replied flatly.  Steve smiled but as Luis turned to face him he realised he hadn't meant it as a joke.  It was then Steve remembered their last conversation about school and how unhappy Luis seemed to be there.  If he was bullied as he said, and Steve had no reason to doubt him, then going back wasn't going to be easy.  He knew how cruel children could be, and he was sure that there were those who'd show no mercy for the boy despite all he'd been through.

Mark clarified his question for the young boy "what I meant was, do you fell ready to go back to school yet?"

****

Again Luis shrugged "it makes no difference either way"

Mark threw a worried glance towards Steve, he was no child psychologist but it seemed obvious to him that Luis had become even more withdrawn since the funeral.  Not surprising, he reasoned, given the recent revelations about his mothers' affairs and his sisters part in the robbery.

"Luis" Steve began gently, "I was hoping you could do something for me."  This seemed to pique his attention somewhat and for the first time he made eye contact with Steve.  "I wondered if you'd come downstairs with me" the boys' eyes widened slightly but Steve continued "and show me exactly what you did when you came home from school that day."

Luis shuffled from foot to foot then turned to look out of the window.

"It's OK if you don't want to" Mark reassured him.

Luis shook his head "I'll come downstairs but I don't want to go in there" he croaked.  By "there" both Mark and Steve assumed he meant the study, the scene of his father's murder.

"OK" Steve replied standing and opening the door "that's fine".  For a moment a look of panic crossed Luis' face but calmly he crossed the room and made his way towards the stairs.

Wednesday 24th May   18:18

They were standing outside Max Simmons' study now as Alyson busied herself close by, casting worried glances towards them.  Steve had watched Luis run through his actions twice now, each time stopping at the doorway to the study.  The first time he'd said as little as possible, simply allowing the boy to repeat his actions as he remembered them, but the second time he'd quizzed him as he went along;

"When you headed for the kitchen did you walk quickly, like you were thirsty, in a hurry to get a drink?"

"Wow, you've got a lot of types of drinks in the refrigerator.  Bet it took you a long time to choose."

_"Didn't you poke your head into the lounge to see if there was anybody in there?"_

Each probe, each attempt to coax the tiniest morsel of additional information was met with a brief impassive response.

_"I just walked normally"_

_"I always have apple juice"_

_"No"_

It didn't explain the delay in calling the paramedics, if anything it suggested Luis had discovered the body even sooner than Steve had estimated.  And now they were standing here, frozen in the doorway, both Mark and Steve attempting to read the emotion on Luis' face.

"What happened" Mark eventually asked.

Silently Luis raised a finger to his neck, checked his pulse and then allowed his arm to drop to his side once more.

"Luis" Steve spoke gently "after that, you picked up the phone in the study and called 911."  The boy nodded.  "Did you make the call straight away?" he asked and Luis' eyes darted up to meet his.

"Of course" he croaked, his voice still surprisingly level, "as soon as it happened, I wanted them to get here as soon as possible, to help him, to make it alright."

"It's OK" Mark tried to calm the boy as he became slightly breathless.  He noticed his eyes darting from the front door to the kitchen to the study.

"I called straight away, why wouldn't I?  I didn't want him to die," he added.

Steve nodded "I know, I didn't mean to upset you" Steve apologised.

"I think Luis has had enough, don't you?" Alyson interrupted firmly but politely.

Mark nodded, "indeed, why don't we go into the lounge and wait for your mom?"

Luis nodded and led Mark and Steve into the adjacent room.  Once inside Mark and Steve took seats in front of the fireplace and waited in silence while Luis headed to the back of the room, running his fingers along the neatly labelled videos which lined the shallow shelves.  Both men turned to watch him.

"Are they of your father's work?" Mark ventured after a short while.

"Mostly" came the reply "some are things he's been involved with producing, but these ones" he pointed "are from the Ed Baxter show" then signalling another batch "award ceremonies."

Mark nodded "he was very successful" he stated.

Luis nodded "yes he was."

"He has lots of awards too," he noticed that a faint smile had crossed the boys face.  His fingers stopped their dance across the videos and he looked at Mark.

"He got an award the day before…." he chewed his lip "the day before, you know.  An award for his charity work, he did a lot of that, it was very important to him."

"That's very commendable" Mark smiled "and from what I've learnt about your father I'm not surprised.  Everybody I've talked to has only had good things to say about him."

"He was a really nice guy." Luis smiled "people used to say that over and over again, '_he's a really nice guy'_.  And he was, but it was strange, hearing it all the time, reading it in magazines.  It was like people overlooked his other qualities, he was more than _nice_, he deserved to be happy, this wasn't supposed to happen…."

"It's alright" Mark assured Luis as he rose and crossed the room to place a comforting hand on the boys shoulder.

"Do you know what he used to tell me about the bullies at school?" Luis asked, looking up at Mark.  "He used to say '_no one can make you feel inferior without your consent_', it's a famous quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, dad used it a lot."

"Sounds like good advice" Mark agreed.

"Dad applied that to so many things; people can't make you feel stupid if you know you are smart, can't make you feel weak if you know you are strong" he continued.  "A rose by any other name…" he smiled.

"Shakespeare, I'm impressed" Mark grinned.

"Romeo and Juliet" Luis nodded.  "People used to tell him he was a nice guy, and he heard it so often that he forgot his own advice" Luis frowned and Mark waited for him to continue.  "He _was_ a nice guy, but that didn't mean he had to be nice _all_ the time" Luis reasoned calmly.  On Steve and Mark's bemused look he elaborated "you saw them all, at the funeral.  The way they were, that's how they treated dad, and he let them.  Why?  'Cos he was _a nice guy_.  He'd find out about one of mom's affairs but _oh, no need to make a fuss_.  Even what Lexie did he brushed under the carpet.  He told me to stand up to bullies but he never did it himself.  He was too busy trying to keep everybody happy, never wanted to _'make waves'_." 

Mark attempted to hide his shock.  Neither he nor Steve had thought Luis had any idea about the goings on in the family before the outbursts at the funeral.  Struggling to find something to say Mark countered evenly, "but he stood up for people who couldn't defend themselves, that's what much of his charity work was about, wasn't it?"

Luis nodded slowly "That's when I wished I was more like him" he smiled.

"From what I've seen," Mark replied, "You are like your father."

"Am I?" Luis continued steadily "That's one of the last things he said to me.  He said '_son, you and me are the nice guys of the world'_.  But he was wrong, I'm nothing like him, because you're right, when it came down to it, he _was_ strong wasn't he?" he asked looking to Mark for confirmation.  "He stood up to bullies and he didn't shy away from things even if they scared him.  And I'm not like that, I'm a coward and, and……"

After remaining silent throughout the exchange Steve decided to intervene, joining his father and the boy at the back of the room.  "Luis, you know you have nothing to be scared of, talking to us right?"  Luis laughed nervously and Steve pressed him again "if there is anything you want to tell us then I want you to know that you can.  Don't be worried that you didn't tell us sooner, we won't be angry with you Luis."  Noticing the young boy was beginning to draw back Steve attempted once more to get his point across.  "Luis, if you saw anything, if you know anything that can help us, there's no need to be afraid."

"Luis" Mark added "we just want to find out what happened to your father, I know you want that too.  Whatever you tell us is confidential, secret, do you understand?" 

At that moment Corrine Simmons entered the room.  Luis turned again to the videotapes and began lightly caressing them once more.  "Detective, Mark" she smiled sweetly.  "Darling" she added spotting Luis "leave those alone, lets all sit down and talk."  But Luis ignored her as she turned and headed towards the fireplace.  "I'm sorry about him" she nodded towards Luis.

"Do you really think he's ready to go back to school?" Mark asked quietly.

Corrine sighed "I don't know what's best for him anymore Mark.  My own son, and I don't even know him.  At least Lexie I can understand, I may not like her much right now but I know what's going on in her head."

Steve cleared his throat and extended a hand "thank you Mrs Simmons, but I think Luis is about done for the day, we'll be in touch."

"Thank you detective, and thank you Mark" she smiled, nodding towards Luis.

Steve crossed to the door and paused as his father peeled off towards Luis.  He placed a hand on the boys shoulder but Luis remained focused on the shelves in front of him.  "If you ever need to talk" Mark offered "just call me OK?"  He withdrew his hand and added "It may not seem like it now, but it _will_ be OK."

Without turning Luis replied sternly "how can it be?  He's dead when it should be me."


	12. A guilty conscience is a hidden enemy

_A guilty conscience is a hidden enemy_

Wednesday 24th May 18:40

"I hope Corrine takes your advice " Steve mused as his father pulled away from the Simmons house.

"About getting some professional help for Luis?"

"Yeah" Steve nodded. "He's been through a heck of a lot, and he's got plenty of self esteem issues"

"And that's just for starters" Mark agreed, pausing as he pulled onto the road. "I think she's being a little premature expecting Luis to return to school tomorrow."

"He seemed so distant, so…..what's the word" Steve drummed the dashboard "so apathetic"

An image of Luis standing in his bedroom flashed through Steve's mind

_"do you feel ready to go back to school yet?"_

_"it makes no difference either way"_

"I wondered if he's on medication, anti depressants or sleeping pills" Mark agreed "he did seem rather indifferent."

"Make a left here, it's quicker" Steve instructed and Mark complied.

"You still think he saw or heard something?" Mark asked.

Steve shrugged, "Could be. You've seen that the timing of his movements doesn't tally and he was insistent about calling the paramedics straight away."

Mark cast his mind back to the young boy standing by his father's study door.

_"Did you make the call straight away?" _

"Of course….as soon as it happened, I wanted them to get here as soon as possible, to help him, to make it alright."

"Maybe too insistent?" Mark hypothesised casually. "Maybe he did panic, worries he wasted valuable time".

"I called straight away, why wouldn't I? I didn't want him to die" 

"But if he _is_ protecting someone, then who?" Mark continued. "Corrine and Matthew Green are the only two without alibis," he added "and he'd have no reason to protect Green."

"Unless he's frightened of him, all that talk of being a coward."

"But Luis thinks Green is still in custody, right?" Mark shrugged "so he knows he can't touch him. That only leaves Corrine, if Luis is protecting anybody then I hate to say it but it must be his mother."

There was a few moment's silence as both men sat and thought.

"Dad!" Steve exclaimed suddenly "go back, go back!"

"What is it?" Mark asked anxiously, turning the car "isn't this the right way…."

"To the house, we've got to go back."

"What's wrong?" Mark asked frantically as Steve began dialling on his cell phone "you don't think Corrine is going to do something do you?"

"Damn, engaged" Steve cursed, immediately dialling another number. Realising his father hadn't made the link Steve began explaining, "We've had it all wrong dad, it's what…" he held up a finger as his call was connected. Mark listened as he ordered a paramedic unit to be dispatched to the Simmons house, then hanging up he frantically continued, "remember when Luis was talking about his dad never wanting to make waves?" Mark nodded "he said _'Even what Lexie did he brushed under the carpet'"_

_"Even what Lexie did" _Mark repeated the words to himself.

"What did Lexie do dad?" Steve prompted, seeing the flicker of recognition on his fathers face.

"Lexie gave the combination to Green" he replied, working through the events as they formed in his mind. "Luis used it as an example, as a time when his father should have been upset but wasn't." They screeched around the corner onto East Marine Road.

"The only way Luis could have seen his father's reaction to that information, is if he was alive when Luis got home" Steve concluded.

"That accounts for the missing time" Mark added "So Luis was in the house when Corrine killed…"

"No!" Steve barked as the Simmons house came into view "not Corrine" he shook his head "Luis."

Wednesday 24th May 18:47

Mark braked furiously at the steps to the house, words and images flashing through his mind; _neatly labelled boxes, vacant staring eyes, _

"I hear you are going back to school tomorrow" 

_"So they say"_

Steve bounded up the steps, tried the door but found it locked, hammered on the glass with his fist.

"Everybody at school thinks I'm a dork; I'm useless at sports and I look like I should be in kindergarten" "Do you know what he used to tell me about the bullies at school?" 

"Mrs Simmons, open up!" Steve yelled

_"people can't make you feel weak if you know you are strong"_

"he was strong wasn't he?"

"And I'm not like that, I'm a coward" 

"Mrs Simmons!"

The door opened and Steve barged past Alyson without explanation. Mark followed behind him as quickly as he could but Steve was taking the stairs two at a time.

"He deserved to be happy, this wasn't supposed to happen" 

Mark heard Steve throw open the door to Luis's room "hurry dad!" he yelled as Mark heard the wail of sirens in the distance.

Reaching the bedroom door a final memory engulfed him;

"It may not seem like it now, but it will be OK."

_"how can it be? He's dead when it should be me?"_

**  
**


	13. We all have enough strength

_We all have enough strength to bear other people's troubles_

Wednesday 24th May 21:08

The sun had disappeared behind the ocean an hour ago and the moon was beginning to cast it's shimmering light across the dark water as Mark Sloan, dressed in a grey sweat suit, sat alone on the patch of sand in front of his house. Steve had been a long way up the beach when he picked out the familiar figure sitting motionless, staring out towards the horizon. His father barely acknowledged his arrival as he approached and so Steve wordlessly took a seat and began scanning the dark waters himself.

After a long while he turned to his father whose head slowly came around to meet his gaze. "Should I say it first?" Mark asked and Steve clenched his jaw. "Son" Mark began "you conducted a thorough and professional investigation. You had no way of knowing how things would turn out, none of this is your fault."

Steve showed no response, waited a while then said "OK, my turn. You spoke to Luis as a favour to Corrine, you weren't his doctor, and you aren't a child psychologist. You did everything you could to help that family and you aren't to blame for what happened."

"Feel any better?" Mark asked his son and Steve shook his head. "Me neither, it's been a hell of a day" the old man admitted. "You want to stay for dinner?" he continued and Steve gave the invitation some thought.

"I'm not really very hungry" he replied wearily.

"Same here" Mark agreed. "You know you don't have to stay here for me son, if Cheryl's expecting you….."

For the first time, Steve smiled "Dad" he shook his head "I'm not hungry, but I wouldn't mind hanging around for a while, if that's OK?"

"Sure" Mark answered eagerly then worriedly added "do you want to talk about it?"

"Nah" Steve shook his head. Picking up a small stick he began tracing patterns in the sand by his side "let's just sit a while" he suggested.

"Sounds good," his father agreed, turning his attention once more to the waves.

Wednesday 24th May 23:37

Steve had no sooner opened the door than he found himself embracing Cheryl tightly where she stood.

"And hello to you too" she whispered squeezing him back.

Steve relinquished his hold allowing her to step inside then he closed and locked the front door.

"Dad was going to wait up until you got here" he began in hushed tones "but he flaked out on the sofa so I sent him up to bed." They walked through into the lounge of the beach house, "you hungry?" Steve asked nervously, "I can fix you something" he signalled towards the kitchen.

Cheryl shook her head "I'm fine thanks" she replied quietly.

"It's not a problem" he assured her turning away but she brought him to a standstill with a single word.

"Steve"

He turned slowly and looked down at his hands "Thank you for coming" he whispered.

Cheryl closed the gap between them "It's OK".

"I know it's a long drive and it's late"

"Sshh" she took his hands in her own.

"I didn't want dad to be alone"

"It's OK"

"But _I_ didn't want to be alone either"

"It's _OK_" she repeated, reaching up to stroke his face.

"I didn't want to be without you tonight"

"And you don't have to be, I'm right here" she kissed him softly.

"I'm a mess" Steve shook his head despondently.

Cheryl wound an arm around his waist allowing her other hand to cup his head. "You'll be OK" she assured him.

"My first case and I got it so wrong" he continued without self-pity, pulling her closer and resting his cheek atop her head.

"This isn't your fault you know?" she whispered against his chest.

"I know" he replied hoarsely.

"So stop blaming yourself. You're good at your job Steve."

There was no reply.

"I'm so glad you're here," he mumbled after a short while.

"Me too" Cheryl replied, pulling away slightly. She cupped his face in her hands "you look exhausted" she whispered looking into his bleary eyes. Steve didn't argue. "So let's go to bed," she suggested and Steve nodded, switching off the table lamp as he led the way down to his apartment.

Thursday 25th May 11:30****

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Amanda asked a weary looking Mark as he sat slumped in a chair in the pathology lab. Jesse had taken a seat behind his colleague's desk and was staring blankly at a medical journal that lay open in front of him.

"On and off, I just kept going over and over the past few days in my mind, trying to work out what I should have done differently." Mark looked up as the door opened and Steve strode in.

"Morning Amanda" he smiled weakly then getting straight down to business asked, "what have you got?"

Amanda picked up a folder but spoke from memory "I ran a full blood screen but there was nothing unusual; no drugs or alcohol."

"There was no history of substance abuse" Mark confirmed "and he wasn't on any sort of medication."

Steve nodded "I just wanted to be sure that there were no contributing factors in the suicide before I went back to see the family." He signalled to the folder in Amanda's hand "may I?"

"Sure" she handed him the folder and he began to scrutinise the paper inside. "You've recorded the cause of death as heart failure," he asserted with confusion evident in his voice. "There was something wrong with his heart?"

"No" Amanda shook her head and elaborated "In most short-drop hangings"

"Short-drop?" Steve jumped in.

Mark clarified. "Cause of death can depend on how far the victim fell before the noose tightened around their neck. In Luis' case it would be considered a short-drop." Steve grimaced.

Amanda continued, "In most short-drop hangings death is by strangulation. It can be a slow process; the victim may not lose consciousness for three minutes or more. During that time you'd expect them to put up a great struggle." She paused, and noting the pained expression on Steve's face she wondered if her friend really needed to hear such details. She folded her arms and continued as gently as she could; "the autopsy indicated that Luis died from excessive pressure to the carotid arteries" she indicated on her neck "which in turn led to a sudden stoppage of the heart. I also noted a lack of clawing around the neck which indicates loss of consciousness was fairly rapid."

"Show me" Steve requested and Amanda reluctantly pulled a photo from the back of the folder he was holding.

She pointed with her pen "here you can see scratch marks around the area the ligature occurred. But I'd say he was conscious and struggling for less than fifteen seconds. Any longer and we'd see far deeper clawing, possibly rope burns on his palms if he'd tried to pull himself up."

Steve nodded his understanding, "I was under the impression that when somebody hanged themselves they broke their neck," he admitted.

"Common misconception" his father responded flatly "in long-drop hangings it's true, it's the principal behind hanging as a form of execution. But most suicides are generally a lot more prolonged."

Steve digested this information "I need to go over and see Corrine" he stated.

"What will happen to Matthew Green?" Jesse asked and Steve turned quickly not having noticed the young man when he first entered the room.

"Corrine isn't pressing charges over the robbery" he answered soberly "but Lexie is only 16 so there is the matter of statutory rape to discuss."

"And what happens about Max's death?" the young doctor enquired further.

Steve squeezed his eyes shut rubbed his brow "we still have some evidence to collect from Luis' room but his journal account of what happened seems credible and fairly comprehensive." He paused, "his mother, no doubt will be primarily concerned with how this will reflect on the family" he added with some distain "so it's too early to say what you'll be reading in the tabloids."

"She can't cover this up, can she?" Jesse asked incredulously.

Steve shrugged "not entirely, but there is nobody to prosecute, Luis was a minor, it appears to have been an accident, so who knows how the lawyers will handle it." Before Jesse could jump in with another question Steve added "listen guys, I've got to go."

"Steve" Amanda spoke up as he reached for the door handle. She swallowed hard "your dad told me that the two of you ran to Luis' room, that you took his weight while he cut him down," Steve nodded solemnly while still gripping the door handle. "If you have any doubts" she continued "if you were feeling or wondering what would have happened if you'd arrived thirty seconds sooner…" she could tell by Steve's face that they were exactly the questions he'd been asking himself.

"Son" Mark took over "Even if we'd just been downstairs, the time it would have taken us to reach him would have been too long. Once he kicked his chair away that was it."

"There was no chance of reviving him?" Steve asked in a deliberate tone.

Mark shook his head "Once his heart had suffered a shock like that we were fighting a losing battle. If he'd been choking then how quickly we reacted would have been far more crucial. We were right to take the steps we did and to call the paramedics but Amanda's report indicates we didn't stand a chance of bringing him back."

Steve nodded slowly as he absorbed this new piece of information "Thank you Amanda" he smiled bitterly "but right now that doesn't make me feel a whole lot better." And with that he turned and left.


	14. Ye shall know the truth

_Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free_

Monday 12th June 17:25

"Hi guys" Steve greeted the usual trio who sat out on his fathers deck. He put down the stack of folders he'd been clutching and pulled out two seats as Cheryl entered a pace behind him and positioned herself between him and Jesse.

"Congratulations!" Amanda beamed leaning back in her chair "Your dad told us you aced the medical this morning."

Steve struggled to stifle his embarrassment "it was just a formality" he replied quietly but there were signs of relief in both his voice and his eyes as he answered.

Sensing his discomfort Cheryl changed the subject; "Mind if I take a look?" she asked, nodding towards the folders Steve had just put down.

He replied by taking the top folder and pushing it towards her. She opened the cover and began to skim the text as Jesse peered over her shoulder. For the benefit of his father and Amanda Steve explained, "the final report, chronicling the events leading up to Max's death. It's primarily based on the statements given by Matthew Green and Lexie, but obviously the details surrounding the shooting itself come from Luis' journal entries."

Cheryl nodded and summarised from the report; "the housekeeper, Alyson dropped Lexie and Luis off at school, her only duty before taking the day off. Corrine and Max both left the house not long after, she to go socialising and shopping, he to call in at one of his charity centres" she paused to read further on but Steve picked up the story which he obviously knew by heart;

"Meanwhile at SKE, Craig Emerson was busy giving Matthew Green the heave-ho in the vain hope that with him gone Max would agree to stay on board. Emerson had no way to buy half of Max's interest meaning Kent would have gained a controlling share in the company. If that happened, Emerson was sure Kent would gradually squeeze him out, something he couldn't afford. So, keeping Max at SKE seemed like Emerson's best hope, and he somehow convinced himself that Green was the problem so he sacked him"

Amanda nodded her understanding "that's when Green went to the house. He wanted Max to reason with Emerson, but the place was empty"

"So he called Lexie at school" Jesse jumped in "allegedly to check when Max would be back, but at some point the wheels started to turn and Green decided to rob the place instead."

"Lexie kindly furnished him with the code to the safe, Corrine had already given him the key and shown him how to use the alarm" Steve continued "and so he entered the house and opened the safe. He was disappointed by the lack of money but took it, along with the jewellery and business papers, and drove up the coast where he checked into a hotel and trawled through the documents hoping to find something valuable amongst them."

"But it was as he was driving away from the house" Mark wagged a finger "that Max returned home and recognised the car."

Jesse shrugged "at first the poor guy probably thought Green was over _visiting_ Corrine again." He paused "but when he saw the empty safe it would have confused the hell out of him."

"So" Amanda questioned "at that point Max thought Corrine may have been involved in emptying the safe, and that's why he didn't call the police?"

Steve nodded "it would seem logical that he would wait to hear her side, but even if he suspected Green had worked alone Max had no desire to make his wife's infidelities public knowledge. He knew that if he called the police he'd have to explain how Green had access to the house."

"Blowing the cover of the perfect couple" Amanda sighed.

Cheryl turned a page and without looking up continued "as it was, Lexie came home from school, and not being much of an actress she couldn't hide her curiosity over what may have happened to lover boy."

"She let slip about her involvement with Green _and_ the robbery" Jesse carried on "so from then on there was _no_ chance of Max calling the police. Lexie stormed out after the argument and headed over to her friends place."

Mark shook his head morosely "and that's when Luis came home."

Breaking the silence that followed, Amanda prompted Mark, "Did you tell Steve about your meeting with Corrine Simmons?"

Steve's interest piqued instantly and Mark exhaled as he slowly obliged, "she caught me a little off guard," he admitted, going on to explain, "she was bordering on hostile to tell the truth."

"That's understandable Mark" Amanda assured him tenderly. "Corrine obviously still values your opinion and trusts you as a friend otherwise she wouldn't have invited you over. But she's been through so much, _you've_ _seen_ so much, that to a certain degree she's probably embarrassed."

"You _have _unearthed a few of Corrine's less commendable traits," Jesse reminded him.

"Failings" more like Steve chimed in as Cheryl closed the folder and turned her attention to the conversation at the table.

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" Mark scolded gently. "The woman is still devastated. In case you've forgotten Corrine lost her husband _and_ her son within a week of each other."

"A husband she cheated on at every opportunity and a son she kept a complete emotional detachment from" Steve replied angrily, shaking his head.

"But" Amanda intervened, hoping to nip this argument in the bud "she's trying to do the right thing by Lexie now"

"How so?" Steve asked sceptically.

"Corrine wanted some advice, about getting help for Lexie. The two of them still aren't getting along at all well. Lexie wants to go and live with her Uncle Alex but with his past record Corrine isn't happy about that. They both agree that them living under the same roof isn't going to improve the situation." Mark paused noticing the disgusted look that had crept across this sons face. He continued nevertheless "Corrine wanted to discuss the options available, counselling obviously, but also maybe placing Lexie with a foster family on a short term basis until they can build a better relationship."

Steve laughed downheartedly "when I first talked to Lexie I wondered how it was she hadn't ended up on the streets. The way Corrine is pushing her away I'd say she's getting a step closer every day."

"Sometimes, when there are problems with family dynamics, foster care is the best solution. It doesn't mean that the child is being rejected" Amanda argued heatedly.

Steve nodded "I know that, I just don't think Corrine and Lexie fall into that category. The way I see it Corrine is ashamed that her daughter is growing up in her image. Get rid of Lexie and she doesn't have to be reminded of her own short comings."

"Corrine has her daughters best interest at heart" Mark assured him authoritatively, "she's just confused."

Smiling, Steve reluctantly agreed, "OK, I can accept that. From day one Lexie has had _me _confused too. Even now I don't know if I want to arrest her or adopt her." Jesse and Cheryl chuckled. "I'm serious" Steve went on "On one hand you look at her and she's a sixteen year old child who's grown up watching her mother flaunt her lovers under her fathers nose. _At least_ one of those men has taken advantage of her, her brother and father are dead, both in the most tragic of circumstances and now her mother is saying she can't find a way to help her that doesn't involve shipping her out of the family home."

"On the other hand?" Jesse asked expectantly

"On the other hand" Steve complied "she's a cold, calculating young woman who probably used Matthew Green as much as he used her. She played a key roll in the robbery and lied in the investigation into her fathers murder. While she really didn't believe that Matthew Green had shot her dad she remained silent about his presence and her own at the house that day, not because she was frightened of implicating herself in the murder, but because she still hoped that she and Green could get away with the money and be together."

"I say arrest her, adopt her" Mark placed his hands palm down on the table "_anything_, as long as she gets help somewhere along the line. The last thing any of us want to see happen is for Lexie to be left feeling guilty and abandoned like her brother did." With that sentiment echoed in everybody's minds the conversation around the table came to a close.


	15. No more Mr Nice Guy

_No more Mr Nice Guy_

Thursday 18th May 16:10****

Luis trudged up the steps to the family home, turning to dutifully wave goodbye to David and his mother. The words of his so-called friend still echoed in his mind; "_you'd better not tell, you hear me Luis? If my mom finds out I skipped trumpet practice I'm dead-meat and so are you." _That's when the older boy had punched him, hard in the stomach. It was for show, Luis knew, to make himself look big in front of the four other thugs who stood behind him outside the music room, jeering and laughing. It was always worse when there were others around, the teasing and the beatings. Then when a teacher showed up it was his job to smile casually as they draped a friendly arm around his shoulder. "_Just playing, miss"_ he'd lie when they asked if he was OK. Maybe I'm not such a bad actor after all, he thought.

Luis opened the door and called out without any gusto "hello?" There was no reply, not that he'd expected any. Lexie usually went straight over to Margarets after school and it was Alyson's day off. As for mom and dad, who knew? Closing and locking the door behind himself he stood his trumpet case at the bottom of the stairs and wandered into the kitchen. "You are such a loser, Simmons," he muttered to himself, mimicking the taunts of the day. In his mind they continued; "_hear your mom is screwing Mr Lant, what's that all about? Is she doing favours for you, get you a good grade in math this year?" _He opened the refrigerator door and took out the apple juice, "_Nah, she's going for the three R's. Last term it was Mr Pollok, right? Then Martin Davis caught her in the supply closet with that English sub who replaced him. So she had the _reading_ and _writing_. This must be her going for the arithmetic._"

He poured a glass full of the pale liquid then screwed the top back on the bottle and replaced it in the fridge. He took one long gulp and felt the cold tingle run down his throat. "_Martin Davis say's your sister is just the same, say's she's done it with half the guys at school_." Luis banged the glass down on the counter "Stop it" he scolded himself "stop it, stop it, stop it!" He took a deep breath and raised the glass to his lips once more this time taking only a sip. "Stick and stones" he said to himself then added sarcastically "yeah, right!"

Taking three more mouthfuls of juice he emptied the glass and stood it back down on the counter. He left the kitchen and headed towards the stairs. At the foot he paused by his trumpet case then turned on his heels and walked silently towards his father's study. The door was open and as Luis stepped inside he could see that the door to the safe at the far end of the room was ajar. Instinctively he took a quick look over his shoulder and timidly called out "hello?" When there was no reply he moved slowly forwards, tracing a finger across the top of the big wooden desk as he passed it. Gingerly he pulled the safe door further open and was taken aback to see it empty except for his fathers gun and a small box of bullets. He knew his mother kept some of her jewellery in there, and that dad stored important papers in the safe and he wondered what had happened to them all. Again he shot a worried glance back over his shoulder.

Without thinking about it Luis found himself reaching out towards the gun. He'd never held a gun before, his father had never let him touch this one and even having one in the house had been a source of argument between his parents. While his mother thought it was necessary for protection his dad had never been keen on the idea. Lexie had boasted to him that she'd held it many times, pantomimed around the study with it when nobody was home. She'd been devious enough to discover the code to the safe ages ago she bragged, borrowing her mothers jewellery without permission, relishing the chance to snoop through their parents' private papers. "_Devious little cow"_ their mother had often called her "_little tart, madam._" Luis felt the weight of the gun in his hand and slid the box of bullets towards the edge of the safe. "_Who do I take after_" Lexie would yell back during many of their any argument "_you are nothing but a whore_, _bitch, gold-digger._" One by one, Luis began loading the bullets into the clip; it was easy enough, you saw people on TV do it all the time. With each bullet came a voice in his head and a pain like a punch in the stomach;

"_You are such a loser, Simmons_"

"_You'd better not tell, you hear me Luis?"_

_"Hear your mom is screwing Mr Lant"_

_"Martin Davis say's your sister is just the same"_

_"Little tart, madam." _

_"Whore, bitch, gold-digger"._

He pushed the box of bullets back into the safe and stared at the gun in his hand. The sudden sound of familiar footsteps behind him startled him and he turned to face the door, concealing the gun behind his back.

"Luis" his dad smiled half-heartedly "what are you doing in here?" He mustered only a shrug in reply. His dad closed the distance between them and perched on the edge of the desk. Luis felt himself back away instinctively until the door of the safe poked into his back. "I was just out in the garden, didn't hear you come in" his father explained, "so how was school?" he asked brightly.

"OK" Luis managed to move his lips but barely a sound came out. Despite the glass of apple juice his mouth was incredibly dry.

"You sure?" his father pressed, "You look a little off colour." Luis saw the concern in his fathers eyes.

"Some of the boys" Luis croaked dropping his eyes to the floor "they say things…..upsetting things." He could feel his hands becoming clammy and gripped the gun tighter behind his back, frightened it would slip lose.

"What have I told you son?" Max smiled kindly "you _are_ what you _believe_ you are. Whatever those boys say just you remember that, OK?"

Luis nodded unconvincingly "It's just they say things" he swallowed hard and remembered the punch David had landed him earlier in the day "they do things" he halted as his throat began to tighten.

"I know" his father nodded sympathetically "I know. You've just got to learn to stick up for yourself a little, OK?" Max moved from his perch on the edge of his desk and slipped into the big leather chair, fanning out papers in front of himself on the desk.

"Are they papers from the safe?" Luis asked timidly as his father sat with his back to him.

Max paused "er, no they aren't, why do you ask?"

"I saw the safe was empty, I wondered if something had happened, if we'd been robbed?" he replied shakily. A chuckle escaped Max and Luis' confusion grew. "What's so funny?" he asked without mirth.

Taking a deep breath Max replied trough gritted teeth "we weren't _robbed_ Luis, we were just _stupid_ enough to allow somebody who shouldn't have gain access to the code."

"Lexie you mean?" Luis asked innocently, imagining his spoilt sister and her friends playing around with his mothers jewels.

Max swung around sharply in his chair. "What?" he snapped uncharacteristically "you knew about that, she _told_ you about Matthew Green?"

Luis' head spun. He was taken aback by his fathers outburst. Without having to search his memory he was sure it was the first time that his dad had shouted at him in such a way. He looked at him now and all the heat was gone from his face, replaced by something that looked like remorse. Attempting to calm the situation Max added, "all I mean is your sister has been a little careless but it's not really her fault."

"Matthew Green" Luis repeated to himself "What does he have to do with Lexie? I though he worked from you, he was mom's tennis partner right?"

"Tennis partner!" Max scoffed lightly, shaking his head.

Remembering the frequency with which Matthew used to visit Luis scolded himself for being so naïve. He'd known for a while that what the boys at school said was true, that's why it hurt so much. He knew about his mother and Mr Pollok because Mr Pollok would keep him behind after class and give him notes to pass on to his mother. He'd read one once, Mr Pollok was asking his mother to meet him for a "_performance review."_ He looked at his father who sat at the desk with his head resting in his hands.

"Are you and mom going to get a divorce" Luis asked evenly.

Max turned to face him "No, no, not at all, what ever made you think that?"

"Matthew Green" Luis replied simply.

Max shook his head "No Luis, listen, I think you should just forget about all of this" he signalled towards he safe. "Forget what I've said here it's just been a crazy day, OK?"

"But will you get the things back?" Luis asked, his mind still racing "the things from the safe?" As he spoke the word '_safe_' he again felt his hands grip the gun behind his back.

"I really don't know" Max shook his head.

"What did the police say?" Luis asked with some concern.

Max sighed "I didn't call the police Luis, now maybe you should go up to your room."

But Luis was frozen to the spot, his confusion demonstrating itself as he continued to talk "but why didn't you call the police…."

"Luis" his father pleaded, "the matter is more complicated than you can imagine. Not only has Matthew Green…." Max caught himself just in time "it's complicated but it is _nothing_ for you to worry about." He rubbed his eyes and began shuffling the papers on the desk.

Luis stood for a while, absorbing what he'd learnt, gripping the gun behind his back as words clouded his head again and again "_You are such a loser, Simmons" "Hear your mom is screwing Mr Lant." _He took a breath, "if Matthew Green robbed you, and if he's been….you know" he stammered as a flush rose in his cheeks "if he's been with mom, then why not call the police, have him put in jail?" When his father didn't reply he continued with a little more conviction "you just finished telling me that I have to learn to stand up to bullies but you aren't doing anything about this."

Max turned and faced his son "Luis, listen carefully" he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are growing up now, alright, and there are some things about adult life that you are starting to discover" he chewed the inside of his mouth. "But at the moment, you are still a _child_, Luis, you may think you understand the world around you but you do not." Wearily he shook his head "my advice to you son is to enjoy being a child, because once you become an adult _nothing_ is black and white any more. There is only grey in the adult world Luis, nothing is simple." He signalled towards the safe and continued, "this isn't about being bullied or about standing up for myself, it's about the real world. One day you'll understand that as an adult you have to learn to pick your battles son; when to stand up for yourself and when to accept the _unpleasant_ situations thrown at you."

Max paused a while then opening his arms wider; indicating the room around him asked, "how do you think we came by all this Luis? Hard work, sensible investment, that's how" he answered himself "but out there" he signalled to the window "people are out for what they can get, they want it all now, on their terms. Why do you think I want to keep Lexie out of acting? It's a cutthroat industry, tougher than she'll ever imagine. Why do you think I want to finish with SKE? I'm making a fortune there but I'm surrounded by people whose greatest love is money, and as long as they are happy themselves they don't care who they hurt."

A vacant look had crept into Luis' eyes as his father enlightened him about the state of the world. Noticing the blank expression on his son's face Max ran both hand back through his hair dejectedly. "Son, I'm sorry, OK? I'm getting a little carried away."

"But it's all true" Luis whispered, referring not only to his father's assertions but to the many taunts he'd suffered over the years.

Max looked pensively at his son "yes it's true" he admitted weakly "but the important thing is _we_ aren't like that, you never have to become like that OK?"

Wordlessly Luis dropped his arms to his sides, keeping the gun by his thigh, shielded from his fathers view. Slowly he crossed towards the window where, with his back to the room, he examined the weapon in his hands.

"Son" Max spoke the word tenderly "son, remember, you and me are the nice guys of the world, right?" The final phrase was obviously a well-worn joke between the two as, unbeknownst to his father, a faint smile touched Luis' lips.

As Max turned his gaze from his son back to his desk something in the open safe caught his eye. Pushing the door open slightly he was puzzled to see the open box of ammunition; a fraction of a second later and he'd established that his gun was not alongside it. Looking again to the window he noticed his son, head hung low, hands in front of himself. Not just in quiet contemplation he knew, but examining something, examining the loaded weapon. He stood quietly and slowly stepped towards Luis, failing to hear the faint click as he did so.

From the window Luis didn't hear his father approach and was first aware of his presence when he felt the large hand squeeze his shoulder. "Luis?" his father questioned at the precise moment the boy, shocked by his touch, turned quickly to face him. Glancing down at the gun in his son's hand a wave of panic and nausea rushed through him. Instinctively Max grabbed for the gun. Luis pulled back and a single shot rang out.

_The End_


End file.
